Nanostructured monticellite for tissue engineering applications – Part II: Molecular and biological characteristics

Silicon (Si)- and magnesium (Mg)-containing bioceramics have recently gained much attention for tissue engineering applications due to their ability to stimulate cell proliferation and differentiation along with their adequate microstructural and physicochemical characteristics. In this study, nanostructured monticellite (CaMgSiO4, 33.33% of Mg) was chosen as an appealing biomaterial to identify time- and dose-dependent cytocompatibility, in vitro osteogenic activity and antibacterial & anti-biofilm activity. A time- and dose-dependent MTT assay illustrated that monticellite nanoparticles promoted proliferation of bone like cell considerably more than positive and negative controls. The cell viability of the bioceramic was higher than hydroxyapatite (HA, as bone inorganic material) and control sample, demonstrating that cytocompatibility was promoted due to the increase of Mg content. The results of alkaline phosphatase (ALP) activity test demonstrated that the osteogenic proliferation of osteoblast-like G292 cell line enhanced more by the bioceramics extract than control and HA, corroborating when Mg content of the calcium-silicate bioceramics is increased cytocompatibility and bioactivity are significantly promoted. Moreover, further analyses revealed that the bioceramic possessed antibacterial and anti-biofilm properties due to the presence of Mg, Si and Ca elements in the structure. These findings suggest that the proposed nanostructured monticellite is a promising biomaterial for further applications in tissue engineering.