mindyhausler
8 posts
Jun 19, 2025
7:00 PM
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Gellan gum (GG), a microbial polysaccharide, was effectively utilized as a biocompatible matrix for preparing a nanocomposite scaffold aimed at bone tissue repair. This study highlights the use of gellan gum in forming a freeze-dried nano-hydroxyapatite@gellan gum (nHA@GG) scaffold with desirable structural and biological features for regenerative medicine.
To fabricate the scaffold, nano-hydroxyapatite (nHA) was first dispersed in distilled water, stirred for 4 hours, and sonicated to ensure homogeneous nanoparticle distribution. A mixture containing 1 g of gellan gum, 5 mL of 0.1 M CaCl?, and 0.5 g of glycerol was then added. The gellan gum served as the structural backbone, while CaCl? and glycerol functioned as cross-linking and plasticizing agents, respectively. The solution was continuously stirred at 70?°C for 2 hours to facilitate gelation.
The resulting gel was washed with deionized water to remove unreacted polymers and subjected to freeze-drying at -80?°C for three days. This process yielded a porous, lightweight scaffold with a well-integrated nHA network. Finally, the scaffold was conditioned at 25?°C and 50% RH for 48 hours to stabilize its structure for further analysis.
This case study demonstrates gellan gum's suitability in constructing mechanically stable, bioactive scaffolds for advanced bone tissue engineering applications.
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