Surface modification of hydroxyapatite microspheres for the sustained release of vitamin C

The efficient loading and controlled release of any drug are extremely important parameters of drug carrier for bone tissue engineering application. The spherical hydroxyapatite (HAP) particle may be a candidate for its excellent cytocompatibility. In this work, the porous HAP microspheres are synthesised using calcium carbonate as template. The vitamin C-loaded HAP particles are further modified using sodium alginate and polyethylene glycol (PEG) to reduce the rapid initial release of the drug. The initial burst release of the drug from vitamin C-loaded HAP particles shows better cytocompatibility. The fabricated HAP microspheres provide better drug loading and controlled-release capacity. The sodium alginate-modified HAP microspheres may be used as drug carriers for bone tissue engineering application.