In situ preparation of Bacterial cellulose/Hydroxyapatite scaffold in colloidal culture media containing Gum Tragacanth

The incorporation of Hydroxyapatite (HA) on bacterial cellulose has become an attempt in recent years to provide osteogenic abilities for the scaffold. In this study, gum tragacanth (GT) was added to the sugarcane juice media containing HA for Bacterial cellulose (BC) culturing to increase the attachment of the nanoparticles on cellulose fibers. The cellulose fibers experienced changes in fiber size and elemental components. The atomic % of Ca and P increased following the higher amount of HA added in BC culture media. The viability of pre-osteoblast cells MC3T3 was higher in scaffolds produced by the study compared to the net BC. The ALP activities of the cells on the scaffolds during 21 days of cultivation confirmed the differentiation support of the BGA scaffold. The method using colloidal media to attach nanoparticles on BC fibers is suggested to produce bioactive BC pellicle/fiber which opens other possibilities in BC applications.