INFLUÊNCIA DO DIÂMETRO DE ESTACAS NO DESENVOLVIMENTO DOS BROTOS DE Platanus x acerifolia

O objetivo do presente trabalho foi determinar o diâmetro ideal de estacas para a produção de mudas de Platanus x acerifolia. As estacas utilizadas foram coletadas em árvores cuja a brotação apresentava-se com um ano de idade. Foram comparados três diâmetros de estacas: diâmetros inferiores a 1 cm, diâmetros entre 1 e 2 cm e diâmetros superiores a 2 cm. Todas as estacas possuiam 30 cm de comprimento. Decorridos 90 dias do plantio das estacas, foram medidas as alturas dos brotos, onde na qual o maior desenvolvimento foi observado nas estacas com diâmetro entre 1 e 2 centímetros

Structure optimisation and biological evaluation of bone scaffolds prepared by co-sintering of silicate and phosphate glasses

A degradable phosphate glass (ICEL) and a bioactive silicate glass (CEL2) were mixed in different ratios (wt-%: 100%ICEL, 70%ICEL-30%CEL2, 30%ICEL-70%CEL2, 100%CEL2; codes 100-0, 70-30, 30-70, 0-100) and then co-sintered to obtain three-dimensional porous scaffolds by gel casting foaming. Thermal analyses were carried out on the glass mixtures and were used as a starting point for the optimisation of the scaffold sintering treatment. The microcomputed tomography and field emission scanning electron microscope analyses allowed the selection of the optimal sintering temperature to obtain an adequate structure in terms of total and open porosity. The scaffolds showed an increasing solubility with increasing ICEL glass content, and for 30-70 and 0-100, the precipitation of hydroxyapatite in simulated body fluid was observed. In vitro tests indicated that all the scaffolds showed no cytotoxic effect. The co-sintering of silicate and phosphate glasses showed to be a promising strategy to tailor the scaffold osteoconductivity, degradation and bioactivit

Ferrimagnetic devitrified glass doped with copper by ion exchange: Microstructure, bioactivity and antibacterial properties

In this work, the ion-exchange technique in molten salts was investigated to introduce copper ions in a bioactive and ferrimagnetic devitrified glass. This approach aimed to develop a magnetic and bioactive material for oncologic bone implants, able to join the ability to promote bone bonding to hyperthermic therapy while simultaneously lowering the risk of developing post-surgery infections. The ion-exchange approach was developed in order to overcome experimental critical issues related to the influence of copper introduction as a starting reagent, during the material synthesis, on magnetite nucleation. The magnetic devitrified glass was prepared by melt and quenching route, followed by ion exchange in a mixture of molten sodium and copper nitrates, in three different Na/Cu molar ratios (20, 200, 2000). The obtained samples were analysed in terms of morphology, composition, ability to release heat, bioactivity and antibacterial properties. The results revealed that copper ion-exchange involved both sodium and calcium ions and the precipitation of few amounts of copper oxide aggregates occurred. The crystalline nature of the starting material and its ability to reach the temperature needed for hyperthermia, under exposition to an alternating magnetic field, were not affected. A bacteriostatic effect was obtained by samples with the highest copper amount and the copper doping did not affect the bioactivity of the glass ceramic

Synthesis and characterization of sol-gel bioactive glass nanoparticles doped with boron and copper

In this work the sol-gel synthesis of bioactive glass nanoparticles containing both boron and copper oxides is reported for the first time in the literature. Two acid/base co-catalysed methods were compared. The obtained glasses have been characterized in terms of morphology, composition, particle surface area, phase analysis and bioactivity in acellular simulated body fluids. The almost spherical nanoparticles (<100 nm diameter) obtained are characterized by a certain degree of aggregation and have compositions, which are coherent with the theoretical ones. Each glass revealed the ability to promote the growth of hydroxyapatite on its surface during soaking in simulated body fluid, thus we can assume that the addition of boron and copper did not negatively affect the bioactivity of the sol-gel derived glasses. Future investigations will be devoted to biological characterizations for cytotoxicity, antibacterial properties and pro-angiogenetic abilities

Interfacial Structures Associated with Surface Activity in Magnetic Devitrified Glasses for Biomedical Applications

In bioactive magnetic devitrified glasses, the amorphous region with a porous structure is reduced compared to that in relevant glasses due to the formation of crystalline phases, such as magnetite crystals, which deteriorate the bioactive properties that arise from the active surface area. In this study, the local atomic structure associated with surface activity was investigated as an alternative to the reduced amorphous region in bioactive ferrimagnetic devitrified glasses doped with Cu via melt-quenching and ion exchange. Element-specific positron annihilation spectroscopy revealed that the melt-quenching approach effectively introduces Cu ions into the boundaries among magnetite-based crystals, forming void-like open spaces. The interior surfaces of these void-like open spaces within the crystal boundaries act as active areas, as evidenced by the formation of carbonate species through the reaction of Ca with CO2 in the air. The results confirm that Cu ions introduced into the crystal boundaries play an important role not only in imparting antibacterial properties but also in developing locally active surfaces

Tailoring of bioactive glass and glass-ceramics properties for in vitro and in vivo response optimization: a review

Bioactive glasses are inorganic biocompatible materials that can find applications in many biomedical fields. The main application is bone and dental tissue engineering. However, some applications in contact with soft tissues are emerging. It is well known that both bulk (such as composition) and surface properties (such as morphology and wettability) of an implanted material influence the response of cells in contact with the implant. This review aims to elucidate and compare the main strategies that are employed to modulate cell behavior in contact with bioactive glasses. The first part of this review is focused on the doping of bioactive glasses with ions and drugs, which can be incorporated into the bioceramic to impart several therapeutic properties, such as osteogenic, proangiogenic, or/and antibacterial ones. The second part of this review is devoted to the chemical functionalization of bioactive glasses using drugs, extra-cellular matrix proteins, vitamins, and polyphenols. In the third and final part, the physical modifications of the surfaces of bioactive glasses are reviewed. Both top-down (removing materials from the surface, for example using laser treatment and etching strategies) and bottom-up (depositing materials on the surface, for example through the deposition of coatings) strategies are discussed

Silver-doped glass-ceramic scaffolds with antibacterial and bioactive properties for bone substitution

The preparation of scaffolds that are both macroporous and mechanically strong is a significant challenge in the development of bioactive ceramic materials for bone substitution. Furthermore, the introduction of beneficial extra-functionalities such as bacterial inhibition is highly appealing but adds complexity to implant design and production. In this study, we aimed to fabricate highly porous, bioactive and antibacterial glass-ceramic scaffolds with interconnected macropores through the foam replica method. The scaffolds were sintered at two different temperatures (620 and 850 °C), yielding glassy or partially crystallized materials, respectively. The scaffold produced at higher temperature was found to be highly porous (>75 vol%), mechanically stronger and able to induce hydroxyapatite formation after three days of soaking in SBF (in vitro bioactivity). In order to confer antibacterial activity, silver (Ag) ions were introduced onto the scaffold surface through ion exchange in an aqueous solution. Compositional analysis confirmed the successful doping of the scaffold surface with silver, which was continuously released in SBF for at least 28 days, as revealed by ICP-MS. Finally, the antibacterial action of the Ag-doped scaffold was confirmed towards Staphylococcus epidermidis. Overall, the results reported in this work show the potential of foam-like Ag-doped bioactive glass-ceramic scaffolds to be used in applications requiring bone substitution and antibacterial properties

Sol-gel synthesis of spherical monodispersed bioactive glass nanoparticles co-doped with boron and copper

In this work, an optimized sol-gel process for the synthesis of spherical and monodispersed bioactive glass nanoparticles doped with boron and copper was developed, by investigating different synthesis parameters. The obtained glasses were characterized in terms of morphology, composition, dispersibility, structure and in vitro reactivity. The performed characterizations demonstrated that shape, dimension and dispersion can be tailored by acting on the timing of the addition of the catalyst and on the synthesis process, in particular the centrifugation step. The optimized glass particles showed a spherical shape, good ions incorporation and good dispersion. In vitro bioactivity test demonstrated that the boron and copper addition did not interfere with the glass ability to induce the precipitation of hydroxyapatite. The shape, dispersion, bioactive behavior and content of boron and copper of these novel bioactive glass particles make them very promising for both hard and soft tissue engineering applications