Title : Conversion of biowastes into bioceramics
Abstract:
This study aimed to recycle organic wastes for the preparation of value-added material for biomedical applications. Three different silicate bioceramics (wollastonite, diopside, forsterite) were prepared from wastes and their biomineralization and cytocompatibility were evaluated. Raw eggshell and rice husk were used as calcium and silica sources. Silica extracted from rice husk exhibited irregular topography and particle size was noticed in the micron range. The thermal behavior of precursors was analyzed by TG-DSC and phase purity was examined by XRD. Pure wollastonite was formed after calcination at 1100 oC whereas diopside and forsterite were composed of minor impurities even after heating at high temperatures. Scanning electron microscopy revealed that the morphology of samples was irregular and particles were ranging from submicron to 10 microns. Wollastonite showed good apatite deposition ability followed by diopside and forsterite. The surface of the diopside after immersion in simulated body fluid was composed of nanorods whereas interconnected nanofibers were noticed on the surface of wollastonite. Chemical composition and dissolution were found to affect their biomineralization ability in the physiological environment. The Hemocompatibility test suggested that all the silicate bioceramics showed compatibility with the mammalian blood cells and the hemolytic activity was less than 1%. Among all samples, the diopside revealed good hemocompatibility at all the concentrations (62.5, 125, and 250 μg/ml) even after 24 hours of incubation followed by wollastonite and forsterite. Lactate Dehydrogenase (LDH) assay did not show statistically significant changes in the proliferation of multipotent mesenchymal stromal cells (MMSCs) after treatment with the bioceramics when compared to control (p>0.05). Thus, biowaste derived wollastonite, diopside and forsterite were bioactive and cytocompatible.
Audience Take Away:
- Cost-effective and environment-friendly approach for sustainable recycling of biowastes.
- An effective approach to replace synthetic and toxic chemicals for the development of biomaterials.
- Researchers are attempting to mimic the substitution of essential ions in synthetic materials to accelerate bone regeneration. This study utilizes biogenic waste materials that have the inheritance of Na, Mg, Sr, and Si ions, etc. in a minor amount which can result in significant benefits to physiological function.
- This practice fulfills the European societal challenge of conversion of waste into biomaterial for improving the quality of life of bone disease patients.