In vitro evaluation of the antibacterial and osteogenic activity promoted by selenium-doped calcium phosphate coatings

Selenium is an essential trace element present in 25 selenoenzymes, playing critical roles in a variety of physiological processes, such as anti-oxidative defense and the modulation of cell proliferation and differentiation. This paper characterizes selenium-doped calcium phosphate coatings and evaluates their effects on the osteogenic activity, the proliferation of osteosarcoma cells and biofilm formation. To do so, the structure and elemental composition of the obtained coatings were analyzed, in addition to their thicknesses, and they were compared to pure calcium phosphate coatings. Moreover, the dose-effect ratio of two coatings with the lower (0.6 at%) and the higher (2.7 at%) selenium content was studied in terms of osteogenic, anti-biofilm and cancerous anti-proliferative properties. The results showed the incorporation of selenium in the form of selenite groups into the hydroxyapatite structure, with a similar crystalline pattern to the latter and increased roughness of the coatings. The calcium phosphate coatings with 2.7 at% of selenium resulted in significant osteogenic activity (p < 0.01) of healthy pre-osteoblasts (MC3T3-E1) over long periods of incubation, a significant anti-proliferative effect (p < 0.01) on cancerous osteoblasts (MG63) in a preliminary study, and anti-biofilm properties (p < 0.01) against Staphylococcus epidermidis and Staphylococcus aureus bacterial strains, which are responsible for most infections after orthopedic surgeries.