Apatite wollastonite-poly methyl methacrylate bio-composites

Bio-composites consisting of sol-gel processed apatite wollastonite (AW) glass ceramics and poly methyl methacrylate (PMMA) were prepared by hot compaction method. Density of the composites decreased wit h increase in PMMA content, while, biaxial flexural strength (BFS) was 21 MPa for 20 wt.% PMMA and beyond which it decreased. A correlation between phase compositions of AW glass ceramics with BFS was attempted from the XRD results. In vitro bioactivity of the composites in a simulated body fluid (SBF) showed the formation of spherical globules on the surface within 7 days of soaking as observed by environmental SEM. Thin film XRD and EDX measurement confirmed these globules to be bone like apatite with Ca/P ratio 1.53 and FTIR measurement showed the corresponding peaks for phosphates. Results indicated the bone bonding ability of the composites by forming a surface apatite (calcium phosphate) layer in SBF and the growth increased with increase in soaking durations. ICP measurement of the remaining SBF after 7, 14 and 21 days soaking of samples was found to be in good agreement with the EDX analysis results. (C) 200

Synthesis of titanium composite bio-implants

Because of their specific strength and excellent biocompatibility, titanium, titanium alloys and composites find application in the human body. The main problem resides in the consolidation of titanium powder into components with suitable properties. In the present study, Ti-bio, glass composite powders were prepared by a combination of solution techniques and high-energy milling. Powders were consolidated by conventional sintering in air. The effects of process variables on sintered density and bio-compatibility are discussed and a modulus of rupture determined in three-point bending

Apatite wollastonite-titanium biocomposites: Synthesis and in vitro evaluation

The present paper discusses the consolidation of apatite wollastonite (AW) glass ceramic/titanium composites with various percentages of Ti (5-40 wt%) in an argon atmosphere, and, evaluation of the sintered properties and bioactivity in simulated body fluid (SBF). The sintered density of the composites was found to increase with an increase in Ti content and was found to be in the range of 2.25 (5 wt% Ti)-2.70 g/cm(3) (40 wt%) as compared with those of sintered AW (2.06 g/cm(3)) and Ti (4.5 g/cm(3)). Biaxial flexural strength of the composites was found to be in the range of 13-45 MPa. X-ray diffraction studies of the sintered AW/Ti composites showed Ti phases (TiPO4+CaTiO3+Ti2O3) and wollastonites (CaSiO3+MgSiO3+CaMgSiO4) as dominating phases. In vitro bioactivity of the composites was studied by soaking the composites in SBF for 7, 14, and 21 days, and the sample surfaces as well as the remaining SBF were analyzed to study the interaction between the material and SBF. The results indicated that the growth of phosphates increased in about 7 days of soaking in SBF, after which a steady state was reached, confirming the samples to be bioactive

Sodium-bioglass/polythene composites

We present the studies conducted on sodium-bioglass/polythene (Na-BG/PE) composites and their bioactivity in simulated body fluid (SBF). Several compositions of Na-BG/PE composites were made by hot pressing and the activity studies of the samples were carried out by immersing the composites in SBF for periods of 7, 14, and 21 days. The activity of the samples was confirmed by the cauliflower-like growth of phosphates on the surface of the samples observed in an environmental scanning electron microscope and further confirmed by energy-dispersive X-ray spectrometry (EDS). X-ray diffraction showed the presence of various types of calcium phosphate phases. Ionic movement was observed by inductively coupled plasma atomic emission spectroscopy from the sample to the SBF solution and the reverse trend was observed on the surface of the sample by EDS. Modulus of rupture of the composites increased when the polymer content was increased up to 30% by weight of polythene, beyond which the processing of composites became difficult

Exploring role of polysaccharides present in Ganoderma lucidium extract powder and probiotics as solid carriers in development of liquisolid formulation loaded with quercetin: A novel study.

Ganoderma lucidium extract powder (GLEP) contains various polysaccharides which are well known for their antioxidant and anti-inflammatory actions. Probiotics (PB) are well-established for providing a plethora of health benefits. Hence, use of mushroom polysaccharides and probiotics as carriers to solidify liquisolid formulation is anticipated to function as functional excipients i.e. as adsorbent that may provide therapeutic benefits. Quercetin (QUR) has been used as model lipophilic drug in this study. QUR loaded liquisolid compacts (LSCs) were formulated using Tween 80 as solvent. These were further solidified using a combination of PB and GLEP as carriers. Aerosil-200 (A-200) was used as coating agent. The formulation exhibited very good flow characteristics. Dissolution rate of raw QUR was found to be less than 10% in 60 min while in case of QUR loaded LSCs, more than 90% drug release was observed within 5 min. Absence of crystalline peaks of QUR in the DSC and PXRD reports of LSCs and their porous appearance in SEM micrographs indicate that QUR was successfully incorporated in the LSCs. The developed formulation was found to be stable on storage under accelerated stability conditions

Microfluidic chips: recent advances, critical strategies in design, applications and future perspectives

Microfluidic chip technology is an emerging tool in the field of biomedical application. Microfluidic chip includes a set of groves or microchannels that are engraved on different materials (glass, silicon, or polymers such as polydimethylsiloxane or PDMS, polymethylmethacrylate or PMMA). The microchannels forming the microfluidic chip are interconnected with each other for desired results. This organization of microchannels trapped into the microfluidic chip is associated with the outside by inputs and outputs penetrating through the chip, as an interface between the macro- and miniature world. With the help of a pump and a chip, microfluidic chip helps to determine the behavioral change of the microfluids. Inside the chip, there are microfluidic channels that permit the processing of the fluid, for example, blending and physicochemical responses. Microfluidic chip has numerous points of interest including lesser time and reagent utilization and alongside this, it can execute numerous activities simultaneously. The miniatured size of the chip fastens the reaction as the surface area increases. It is utilized in different biomedical applications such as food safety sensing, peptide analysis, tissue engineering, medical diagnosis, DNA purification, PCR activity, pregnancy, and glucose estimation. In the present study, the design of various microfluidic chips has been discussed along with their biomedical applications

Part 2: biocompatibility evaluation of hydroxyapatite-based clinoptilolite and Al2O3 composites

The biocompatibility of clinoptilolite/alumina/bovine hydroxyapatite (Cp - Al2O3 - BHA) composite, at different ratio obtained by powder pressing process, were investigated studying the behavior of osteosarcoma (SAOS-2) cells. The biocompatibility was examined by means of cytotoxicity and cytocompatibility tests. The structure and morphology of bioceramic composites were studied by scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) technique. The results showed that these materials have no toxic effects. The natural composite that fabricated in this study may be a promising approach for bone engineering applications