Abstract
Porous biphasic bioceramics that contain hydroxyapatite and tricalcium phosphate were synthesized
in this study using luffa cylindrical fibres (LCF) as the template. In addition to improving the pore
structure, using this template led to a chemical coating of the pores´ internal surfaces by important
minerals such as magnesium and phosphorous from the LCF residue. Evaluation of our preliminary
results suggests promising applications in bone tissue engineering. The synthesized porous
bioceramics were characterized in view of their microstructural, physical, and in vitro features. They
showed a trimodal pore system comprising a nano-pore network, smaller macropore with diameters
of 5 to 100 μm, and cylindrical macropores with diameters from 100 to 400 μm; and 75% of
interconnected porosity was confirmed by Mercury intrusion porosimetry and SEM images.
Enhanced cell adhesion of the internal pore surfaces generated long and extended cells inside the
macropores. SEM images show how the cells adhered to bioceramic surfaces and developed
cytoplasmic extensions. Their proliferation in vitro demonstrates that the scaffold architecture and
mineral composition are suitable for mesenchymal stem cell seeding and growth.

Title

Materials Research Express

Publisher

(Institute of Physics (IOP

Publisher Country

United Kingdom

Indexing

Thomson Reuters

Impact Factor

1.41

Publication Type

Both (Printed and Online)

Volume

7

Year

2020

Pages

1-11