Fabrication and evaluation of ascorbic acid phosphate-loaded spherical porous hydroxyapatite/octacalcium phosphate granules

The spherical porous granules of octacalcium phosphate (OCP) and hydroxyapatite (HA) have the potential for applications in scaffolds for bone regeneration. The spherical porous alpha-tricalcium phosphate granules were immersed in a pH 5.0 buffer solution that contained 0.1 mM of ascorbic acid phosphate (AscP), an osteogenesispromoting drug, at 60 degrees C. This resulted in the fabrication of the AscP-loaded spherical porous HA/OCP granules. The OCP and HA phases were concentrated at the surface and interior of the granules, respectively. Furthermore, the HA/OCP core/shell-like structure of the granules was observed for the first time. The loaded AscP in the HA/OCP granules was slowly released in a pH 7.4 buffer solution. The differentiation of the osteoblast-like cells was promoted by the AscP-loaded HA/OCP granules. These granules possessed the potential for applications in artificial bones to promote bone regeneration. (C) 2021 The Ceramic Society of Japan. All rights reserved.