Document Type : Original Article(s)
Authors
1
Professor, Department of Pharmaceutics, School of Pharmacy AND Novel Drug Delivery Systems Research Center, Isfahan University of Medical Sciences, Isfahan, Iran
2
Associate Professor, Department of Pharmaceutics, School of Pharmacy AND Novel Drug Delivery Systems Research Center, Isfahan University of Medical Sciences, Isfahan, Iran
3
Professor, Department of Anatomy, School of Medicine, Isfahan University of Medical Sciences, Isfahan, Iran
4
Department of Pharmaceutics, School of Pharmacy AND Novel Drug Delivery Systems Research Center, Isfahan University of Medical Sciences, Isfahan, Iran
Abstract
Background: Glutaraldehyde (G) is used in cross-linking. Silica clays, like montmorillonite (MMT), enhance the mechanical strength of polymeric nano-composites. The aim of the present study was to determine the effects of G and MMT content on physicochemical properties of alendronate loaded agar/MMT/xanthan nano-composite scaffolds which are useful in regenerating bones in osteoporosis and other defects caused by trauma. Methods: Thirteen different formulations were designed by a three-level factorial design. The effects of two variables, i.e. G and MMT content, on drug loading, release efficiency percentage, swelling, and biodegradation of nano-composites were studied. The morphology of the optimized scaffold and its capability to grow the mesenchymal cells were evaluated by scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and 3-(4,5-Dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide (MTT) assay, respectively. Findings: Changing the concentration of G and MMT had no significant effects on drug loading in scaffolds. Unlike MMT, increasing the concentration of G increased drug release. Increasing the concentration of both studied variables decreased the swelling and biodegradation of the nano-composites. The scaffolds significantly enhanced the growth of mesenchymal cells. Conclusion: The optimum concentrations of MMT and G for preparing three dimensional scaffolds of agar/MMT/xanthan were 3% and 1%, respectively. These concentrations caused significant growth of mesenchymal cells. Keywords: Scaffold, Glutaraldehyde, Montmorillonite, Mesenchymal cells
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