MgO and SrO nanoparticle synthesized from hemerocallis fulva extract for bone tissue regeneration

Electrospun nanofiber membranes have emerged as promising materials in bone tissue engineering due to their high porosity, excellent biocompatibility, and ability to mimic the natural extracellular matrix (ECM). In this study, magnesium oxide (MgONPs) and strontium oxide (SrONPs) nanoparticles were green-synthesized using Hemerocallis fulva extract. These nanoparticles were incorporated into electrospun polycaprolactone (PCL)/gelatin nanofibers to fabricate MgONPs-loaded and SrONPs-loaded scaffolds. The physicochemical properties of the materials were characterized by UV-Vis spectroscopy, Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), and transmission electron microscopy (TEM). The biological effects of MgONPs- and SrONPs-loaded nanofibers were evaluated on stem cells from the apical papilla (SCAPs).

The incorporation of MgONPs and SrONPs resulted in decreased hydrophilicity and swelling ratios by approximately 14% and 90%, respectively, indicating that the nanoparticles altered the wettability of PCL/gelatin fibers. Additionally, the presence of nanoparticles reduced the average fiber diameter. In vitro cell viability assays confirmed that the modified nanofibers were non-cytotoxic and promoted SCAP proliferation. Osteogenic differentiation studies demonstrated that the MgONPs- and SrONPs-loaded nanofibers significantly enhanced alkaline phosphatase (ALP) activity and mineral deposition, exhibiting 0.78-fold and 2.65-fold increases compared to pure PCL/gelatin fibers. Protein expression analyses revealed elevated levels of Runx2 and osteocalcin (OCN) by 12% and 45%, respectively. Moreover, quantitative gene expression analyses showed upregulation of key osteogenic markers, including Col-1, BSP, Runx2, and OCN, by 1.3-, 0.48-, 0.25-, and 0.13-fold, respectively, compared to the control group. Taken together, these findings suggest that PCL/gelatin nanofibers incorporating green-synthesized MgONPs and SrONPs significantly promote osteogenic differentiation and hold strong potential for applications in bone tissue engineering.

Dr. Wen-Ta Su graduated from the Institute of Chemical Engineering at National Tsing Hua University in Taiwan and is currently a professor in the Department of Chemical Engineering and Biotechnology at National Taipei University of Technology. Current research focuses on Bioseparation and Fermentation Engineering, Microfabrication of biomaterials and Surface Modification, Extraction of natural active ingredients from Chinese herbal medicine and plants, Nanoparticle production, Tissue Engineering and Stem Cell Culture.