Abstract
Background: In recent years, bioactive bioceramics such as bioglass and hydroxyapatite (HA) have been introduced as a remarkable
development in the field of medicine due to their bio-adaptability, non-toxicity, and persistence, in vivo. They have many potential
applications in the repair of bone defects and hence they have attracted significant interest from scholars.
Objectives: The aim of this study was to synthesize inorganic matrix CuO-based bioglasses and evaluate their antibacterial activity
against aerobic bacterial infections in bone implants.
Methods: Nano-composite samples of silica-based bioactive glass, 60SBGwith nano-powderCuO, were synthesized using the sol-gel
method and then assessed with regard to their antibacterial properties against Staphylococcus aureus using well diffusion agar. The
samples included BG58S (58%SiO2, 36%CaO, 6%P2O5), BG/10CuO (58%SiO2, 26%CaO, 6%P2O5, 10%CuO), and BG/20CuO (48%SiO2, 26%CaO,
6%P2O5, 20%CuO). To evaluate their bioactivity, the prepared samples of BG/20CuO, BG/10CuO, and BG58S were immersed in simulated
body fluids (SBF). The surface morphology and structure of the samples before and after immersion in the SBF were characterized
using scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and Fourier transform infrared (FTIR), respectively. Then, the BG/20CuO and
BG/10CuO samples were loaded in clindamycin, an antibiotic widely used in the treatment of osteomyelitis, and their release profiles
were studied in phosphate buffer solution.
Results: It was observed that the growth inhibition zone increased through clindamycin release due to the increasing CuO percentage
in the nanocomposite of bioactive glass. The bioactivity of the nanocomposite/bioglass with CuO was superior to that of
bioglass alone. In this study, the BG/20CuO sample showed a sustained release of clindamycin, which is sufficient for a drug delivery
system.
Conclusions: Increasing the Cu nanoparticles in bioactive glass samples leads to the release of Cu2+, which has a positive effect on
the antibacterial mechanism, as well as decreasing the cultured Staphylococcus colonies found on the bioglasses. Therefore, it seems
that the nanocomposite/bioglass of CuO is a promising option for aerobic bacterial inhibitor systems in common bone implant
infections.