In vitro blood compatibility and bone mineralization aspects of polymeric scaffold laden with essential oil and metallic particles for bone tissue engineering

Highly water-stable bimetallic organic framework MgCu-MOF74 for inhibiting bacterial infection and promoting bone regeneration

As a typical metal-organic framework (MOF), Mg-MOF74 can release biocompatible Mg²⁺when the framework is degraded, and it has the potential to be used as filler in the field of bone tissue engineering. However, Mg-MOF74 has poor stability in aqueous environment and limited antibacterial ability, which limit its further development and applications. In this work, MgCu-MOF74 particles with different Cu content were synthesized through a facile one-step hydrothermal method. The physicochemical properties and water stability of the synthesized powders were characterized. The osteogenic potential of the MgCu-MOF74 particles on human osteogenic sarcoma cells (SaOS-2) was evaluated. The hybrid MgCu-MOF74 exhibited favorable water stability. These results indicated that MgCu-MOF74 enhanced cellular viability, alkaline phosphatase levels, collagen (COL) synthesis and osteogenesis-related gene expression. Moreover, the samples doped with Cu²⁺were more sensitive to the acidic microenvironment produced by bacteria, and exhibited stronger antibacterial ability than Mg-MOF74. In conclusion, MgCu-MOF-74 with good water stability, osteogenic ability and antibacterial ability, which could be attributed to the doping of Cu²⁺. Hence, MgCu-MOF74 shows great potential as a novel medical bio-functional fillers for the treatment of bone defects.

Development and Characterizations of Engineered Electrospun Bio-Based Polyurethane Containing Essential Oils

We report the fabrication of bio-based thermoplastic polyurethane (TPU) fibrous scaffolds containing essential oils (EO). The main goal of this study was to investigate the effects of essential oil type (St. John’s Wort oil (SJWO), lavender oil (LO), and virgin olive oil (OO))/concentration on the electrospinnability of TPU. The effects of applied voltage, flow rate, and end-tip distance on the diameter, morphology, and wettability of the TPU/EO electrospun fibers were investigated. The electrospun TPU/EO scaffolds were characterized by scanning electron microscopy (SEM), atomic force microscopy (AFM), contact angle (CA), and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR). The addition of oil resulted in an increase in the fiber diameter, reduction in the surface roughness, and, accordingly, a reduction in the contact angle of the composite fibers. TPU fibers containing SJWO and LO have a more flexible structure compared to the fibers containing OO. This comparative study fills the existing information gap and shows the benefits of the fabrication of essential-oil-incorporated electrospun fiber with morphology and size range with respect to the desired applications, which are mostly wound dressing and food packaging.

Prospects of Polymeric Nanofibers Loaded with Essential Oils for Biomedical and Food-Packaging Applications

Essential oils prevent superbug formation, which is mainly caused by the continuous use of synthetic drugs. This is a significant threat to health, the environment, and food safety. Plant extracts in the form of essential oils are good enough to destroy pests and fight bacterial infections in animals and humans. In this review article, different essential oils containing polymeric nanofibers fabricated by electrospinning are reviewed. These nanofibers containing essential oils have shown applications in biomedical applications and as food-packaging materials. This approach of delivering essential oils in nanoformulations has attracted considerable attention in the scientific community due to its low price, a considerable ratio of surface area to volume, versatility, and high yield. It is observed that the resulting nanofibers possess antimicrobial, anti-inflammatory, and antioxidant properties. Therefore, they can reduce the use of toxic synthetic drugs that are utilized in the cosmetics, medicine, and food industries. These nanofibers increase barrier properties against light, oxygen, and heat, thereby protecting and preserving the food from oxidative damage. Moreover, the nanofibers discussed are introduced with naturally derived chemical compounds in a controlled manner, which simultaneously prevents their degradation. The nanofibers loaded with different essential oils demonstrate an ability to increase the shelf-life of various food products while using them as active packaging materials.

Essential Oils for Bone Repair and Regeneration-Mechanisms and Applications

Although bone possesses a remarkable capacity for self-remodeling and self-healing of small defects, the continuously increasing growth of bone diseases in the elderly population is becoming a significant burden, affecting individual life quality and society. Conventional treatment options involve surgical procedures for repair and reconstruction, local debridement, autografts or allografts, bone transport, Masquelet's two-stage reconstructions, and vascularized bone transplants. However, as such approaches often lead to disruptions of bone-regeneration processes and microbial contaminations and are often inefficient, researchers focus on developing bone-regenerative strategies and identifying novel therapeutic agents that could aid the bone-healing process. In this regard, plant-derived biocompounds, especially essential oils (EOs), have received great scientific attention in recent years, owing to their antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and antimicrobial effects. Current studies focus on either the direct application of EOs on bone tissue or the introduction of EOs as bioactive compounds in bone scaffolds or as coatings for bone implants. Some of the EOs investigated involve St. John's wort, rosemary, thyme, ylang, white poplar, eucalyptus, lavender, and grape seed. In this context, the present paper aims to provide an overview of the main mechanisms involved in bone repair and regeneration and the potential of EOs to address and enhance these mechanisms.