Synthesis of novel nanostructured bredigite-amoxicillin scaffolds for bone defect treatment: cytocompatibility and antibacterial activity

Bone infections in human beings are an essentially destructive problem with crucial clinical and economic effects; thus, incorporation of antibiotics such as amoxicillin (AMX) into the scaffold was developed as an effective treatment for bone infections. In this respect, we develop new nanostructured bredigite (Bre; Ca7MgSi4O16)-amoxicillin (AMX; alpha-amino-hydroxybenzyl-penicillin) scaffolds containing different concentrations of amoxicillin (0, 3, 5, and 10%) by using space holder method to assure bactericidal properties. The result depicted that the Bre-AMX scaffolds possess porosity of 80-82% with high compressive strength of 1.2-1.4 MPa and controlled antibiotic release for prevention of infection. Bre-(3-10%)AMX scaffolds were able to destroy Staphylococcus aureus (S. aureus) and Escherichia coli (E. coli) bacteria, as well as effectively inhibit the growth of bacterial cells; in addition, the antibacterial activity of the AMX-loaded scaffolds augmented with the increase of the AMX concentration. Sustained drug release was detected from Bre-AMX scaffolds accompanied by initial burst release of 20% for 8 h, followed by a sustained release, which is favorable for bone infection treatment. These new Bre-(3-5%)AMX scaffolds possess excellent mechanical properties and antibacterial activity with no cytotoxicity suggested as an appropriate alternative for bone infection treatment. [GRAPHICS] .