Fabrication of bioactive hydroxyapatite/silk fibroin/gelatin cross-linked nanocomposite for biomedical application

Hydroxyapatite/Silk fibmin/Gelatin (HSG) composite is a promising artificial bone graft material, which mimics the properties of the natural extracellular matrix components that meet the current need for bone tissue engineering. In this study, HSG composite in different ratios (40:60:0, 40:50:10, 40:40:20, 40:30:30 and 40:20:40) were prepared using in-situ co-precipitation method. Here, glutaraldehyde was used as a chemical cross-linking agent to improve interactions and control degradation of the composite. The formation of carbonated hydroxyapatite on the cross-linked polymer matrix was evidenced from the optical analysis. The influence of the gelatin content on crystallinity, crystallite size and morphology of the composite were confirmed by XRD and FESEM spectroscopic techniques. The Physico-chemical properties of the composites such as in-vitro biodegradation, swelling ratio and biomineralization were evaluated by treating it with simulated body fluid. Cell viability of the nanocomposite was tested with MG-63 cell lines, which emphasized the biocompatibility of the composites. Moreover, all-composite exhibits good antibacterial ability against Staphylococcus aureus and Pseudomonas aeruginosa. Finally, HSG (40:30:30) composite with a swelling ratio of 69.30 +/- 0.42% (day 15) and biodegradation of 18.51 +/- 0.53% (day 15) reveals maximum cell viability (87.27 +/- 0.62%) and significant antibacterial property indicating a potential candidate for orthopaedic application.