Fibrous PVA Matrix Containing Strontium-Substituted Hydroxyapatite Nanoparticles from Golden Apple Snail (Pomacea canaliculata L.) Shells for Bone Tissue Engineering.

A scaffold that replicates the physicochemical composition of bone at the nanoscale level is a promising replacement for conventional bone grafts such as autograft, allograft, or xenograft. However, its creation is still a major challenge in bone tissue engineering. The fabrication of a fibrous PVA-HA/Sr matrix made of strontium (Sr)-substituted hydroxyapatite from the shell of Pomecea canaliculate L. (golden apple snail) is reported in this work. Since the fabrication of HAp from biogenic resources such as the shell of golden apple snail (GASs) should be conducted at very high temperature and results in high crystalline HAp, Sr substitution to Ca was applied to reduce crystallinity during HAp synthesis. The resulted HAp and HA/Sr nanoparticles were then combined with PVA to create fibrous PVA-HAp or PVA-HA/Sr matrices in 2 or 4 mol % Sr ions substitution by electrospinning. The nanofiber diameter increased gradually by the addition of HAp, HA/Sr 2 mol %, and HA/Sr 4 mol %, respectively, into PVA. The percentage of the swelling ratio increased and reached the maximum value in PVA-HA/Sr-4 mol %, as well as in its protein adsorption. Furthermore, the matrices with HAp or HA/Sr incorporation exhibited good bioactivity, increased cell viability and proliferation. Therefore, the fibrous matrices generated in this study are considered potential candidates for bone tissue engineering scaffolds. Further in vivo studies become an urgency to valorize these results into real clinical application.

Biocompatibility and mechanical properties of an experimental E-glass fiber-reinforced composite for dentistry.

Objectives: To evaluate the biocompatibility and mechanical properties of experimental bis-phenol-A and bis-GMA free E-glass fiber-reinforced composites (FRCs) prepared with hexanediol dimethacrylate (HDDMA) based resin. Methods: Two ratios of HDDMA/TEGDMA resin were evaluated: exp-1 (70/30 wt.%) and exp-2 (50/50 wt.%) with two bis-GMA resin control groups (bis-GMA/MMA and bis-GMA/TEGDMA resins, both 70/30 wt.%). E-glass fibers were embedded into the resins to prepare FRCs specimens. Biocompatibility was assessed for cytoviability and biofilm formation with Streptococcus mutans, Streptococcus sanguinis, Enterococcus faecalis, and Candida albicans. Mechanical properties were evaluated for flexural strength and hardness (24 h, water storage 1 and 28 days), water sorption (1, 7, 14, and 28 days), contact angle, and surface roughness. The data were analyzed statistically by one-way and two-way ANOVA (p < 0.05). Results: Cytoviability of the experimental groups was significantly higher than the control groups (p < 0.05). The exp-1 cytoviability (98.2 ± 1.3%) met the ISO 10993-5 standard requirement for noncytotoxic materials. The adherence of bacteria to the experimental FRCs was visibly less than the controls, while Candida albicans adhered visibly more to the experimental groups than the controls (p < 0.05). Flexural strength showed slightly higher values for controls than for the experimental groups. The exp-1 hardness value was significantly higher in the control groups for all storage conditions (p < 0.05). The water sorption of the experimental groups was significantly higher than the controls. The surface roughness indicated no significant difference (p = 0.87). The exp-1 showed a higher contact angle with the control groups. Conclusion: The experimental HDDMA/TEGDMA-based FRCs might be potential alternatives for bis-GMA-based FRCs. Clinical significance: The HDDMA/TEGDMA E-glass FRCs might provide biocompatible restorations.

Cytotoxicity of Cricula triphenestrata Cocoon Extract on Human Fibroblasts.

Objectives. The aim of this paper was to evaluate the cytotoxicity of Indonesian silkworm cocoon extract of Cricula triphenestrata on human fibroblasts. Methods and Materials. The cocoon shells of the silkworm Cricula triphenestrata were degumming. The shells were mixed with an aqueous solution of 0.3% Na(2)CO(3) at 98°C for 1 hour. The solution was then dialyzed in cellulose membranes against deionized water for 3 days. The cocoon shells extract powder was collected via rotary evaporation and dried under freeze dryer. Cell culture medium was exposed to Cricula triphenestrata cocoon extract (0.01-100 µg/mL) for 24 hours. The primary human gingival fibroblasts were exposed to the treated cell culture medium for 24 hours. Cytotoxicity evaluation was done by MTT method. The data were analyzed by one-way ANOVA. Result. The result revealed no significant cytotoxicity of Cricula triphenestrata cocoon extract against human fibroblasts at a concentration up to 100 µg/mL (P > 0.05). Conclusion. Cricula triphenestrata cocoon extract was not cytotoxic on human gingival fibroblast cells.

The Effect of Zirconia in Hydroxyapatite on Staphylococcus epidermidis Growth.

Synthetic hydroxyapatite (HA) has been widely used and developed as the material for bone substitute in medical applications. The addition of zirconia is needed to improve the strength of hydroxyapatite as the bone substitute. One of the drawbacks in the use of biomedical materials is the occurrence of biomaterial-centred infections. The recent method of limiting the presence of microorganism on biomaterials is by providing biomaterial-bound metal-containing compositions. In this case, S. epidermidis is the most common infectious organism in biomedical-centred infection. Objective. This study was designed to evaluate the effect of zirconia concentrations in hydroxyapatite on the growth of S. epidermidis. Methods and Materials. The subjects of this study were twenty hydroxyapatite discs, divided into four groups in which one was the control and the other three were the treatment groups. Zirconia powder with the concentrations of 20%, 30%, and 40% was added into the three different treatment groups. Scanning electron microscope analysis was performed according to the hydroxyapatite and hydroxyapatite-zirconia specimens. All discs were immersed into S. epidermidis culture for 24 hours and later on they were soaked into a medium of PBS. The cultured medium was spread on mannitol salt agar. After incubation for 24 hours at 37°C , the number of colonies was measured with colony counter. Data obtained were analyzed using the ANOVA followed by the pairwise comparison. Result. The statistical analysis showed that different concentrations of zirconia powder significantly influenced the number of S. epidermidis colony (P < 0.05) . Conclusion. The addition of zirconia into hydroxyapatite affected the growth of S. epidermidis. Hydroxyapatite with 20% zirconia proved to be an effective concentration to inhibit the growth of S. epidermidis colony.

Effects of surface conditioning on repair bond strengths of non-aged and aged microhybrid, nanohybrid, and nanofilled composite resins.

This study evaluates effects of aging on repair bond strengths of microhybrid, nanohybrid, and nanofilled composite resins and characterizes the interacting surfaces after aging. Disk-shaped composite specimens were assigned to one of three aging conditions: (1) thermocycling (5,000 ×, 5-55 °C), (2) storage in water at 37 °C for 6 months, or (3) immersion in citric acid at 37 °C, pH 3 for 1 week; a non-aged group acted as the control. Two surface conditionings were selected: intermediate adhesive resin application (IAR-application) and chairside silica coating followed by silanization and its specific IAR-application (SC-application). Composite resins, of the same kind as their substrate, were adhered onto the substrates, and repair shear bond strengths were determined, followed by failure type evaluation. Filler particle exposure was determined by X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy and surface roughness analyzed using scanning electron and atomic force microscopy. Surface roughness increased in all composite resins after aging, but filler particle exposure at the surface only increased after thermocycling and citric acid immersion. Composite resin type, surface conditioning, and aging method significantly influenced the repair bond strengths (p < 0.05, three-way analysis of variance) with the least severe effects of water storage. Repair bond strengths in aged composite resins after IAR-application were always lower in non-aged ones, while SC-application led to higher bond strengths than IAR-application after thermocycling and water storage. In addition, SC-application led to more cohesive failures than after IAR-application, regardless the aging method.

Immediate repair bond strengths of microhybrid, nanohybrid and nanofilled composites after different surface treatments.

OBJECTIVES: To evaluate immediate repair bond strengths and failure types of resin composites with and without surface conditioning and characterize the interacting composite surfaces by their surface composition and roughness. METHODS: Microhybrid, nanohybrid and nanofilled resin composites were photo-polymerized and assigned to four groups: (1) no conditioning (Control), (2) no conditioning, polymerized against a Mylar strip (Control, with strip), (3) intermediate adhesive resin (IAR) application, and (4) chair-side silica coating, silanization and intermediate resin application (SC). Resin composites, similar as their substrates, were adhered onto the substrates. Shear force was applied to the interface in a universal testing machine and failure types were evaluated under light microscopy. Surface characterization was done by contact angle measurements, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, scanning electron and atomic force microscopy. RESULTS: Significant effects of the resin composite type and surface conditioning were observed. Conditioning the composites with their IARs does not result in significant improvements in bond strength compared to the control with strip (bond strengths between 14.5 and 20.0 MPa). SC increased the bond strength in all composites except TE by an average 8.9 MPa, while in all composites the surface roughness increased from 7 to 384 microm. Failure types in this group were exclusively cohesive. Physico-chemical modelling of the composite surfaces showed that the surfaces were dominated by the resin matrix, with a major increase in silica-coverage after SC for all composites. CONCLUSION: Intermediate adhesive resin conditioning did not improve the composite-to-composite immediate repair strength. Silica coating and silanization followed by its corresponding IAR, strongly increased repair bond strengths and provided exclusively cohesive failures in the substrate in all composites.