A novel squid pen chitosan/hydroxyapatite/β-tricalcium phosphate composite for bone tissue engineering

Squid pen chitosan was used in the fabrication of biocomposite scaffolds for bone tissue engineering. Hydroxyapatite (HA) and beta-tricalcium phosphate (beta-TCP) obtained from waste mussel shells were used as the calcium phosphate source. The composite was prepared using 2.5% tripolyphosphate (TPP) and 1% glycerol as a crosslinker and plasticizer, respectively. The weight percent (wt.%) ratios of the ceramic components in the composite were 20/10/70,30/20/50 and 40/30/30 (HA/beta-TCP/Chi). The biodegradation rate and structural properties of the scaffolds were investigated. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and microCT(mu CT) results indicated that the composites have a well defined lamellar structure with an average pore size of 200 mu m. The porosity of the composites decreased from 88 to 56% by increasing the ratio of HA/beta-TCP from 30 to 70%. After 28 days of incubation in a physiological solution, the scaffolds were degraded by approximately 30%. In vitro investigations showed that the composites were cytocompatible and supported the growth of L929 and Saos-2 cells. The obtained data suggests that the squid pen chitosan composites are potential candidates for bone regeneration. (C) 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.