Low-cost processing technology for the synthesis of calcium phosphates/collagen biocomposites for potential bone tissue engineering applications

• Autor(a) principal: Santos,Maria Helena
• Data de Publicação: 2007
• Outros Autores: Mansur,Herman Sander
• Tipo de documento: Artigo
• Idioma: eng
• Título da fonte: Materials research (São Carlos. Online)
• Texto Completo: http://old.scielo.br/scielo.php?script=sci_arttext&pid=S1516-14392007000400018
• topic: biomaterials; hydroxyapatite; collagen; biocomposites

In the present study two novel composites of Calcium phosphates (CaP) and Collagen (COL) were synthesized, hydroxyapatite/Collagen (HA/COL) and hydroxyapatite-btricalcium phosphate/COL (HAbTCP/COL). Collagen was extracted from bovine pericardium submitted to enzymatic digestion and purification by ion-exchange chromatography yielding high purity grade type I collagen. Biocomposites of HAP/COL and HAbTCP/COL were produced with a calcium phosphate/COL ratio of 80/20 (wt. (%)) and were characterized by chemical analysis, light microscopy and scanning electron microscopy, X ray diffraction and FT-infrared spectroscopy. SEM results of the CaP powders showed agglomerates of particles at the nanometric size range with predominantly columnar shape and average chemical composition of [Ca/P] = 1.67. FTIR analysis of collagen has confirmed the major vibrational bands associated with chemical groups like amides and hydroxyls usually found in proteins. SEM micrographs have indicated that both morphological and structural features and chemical composition of the composites were very similar to their precursors, collagen and calcium phosphate components. SDS-PAGE characterization results of protein extracted and purified has showed that bovine type I collagen was successfully obtained. Finally, the biocomposites presented a homogeneous aspect with the calcium phosphate particles aggregated to the collagen fibers. Hence, the novel developed biocomposites have high potential to be used for rebuilding small lesions in bone tissue engineering.