Contents lists available at ScienceDirect Ceramics International journal homepage: www.elsevier.com/locate/ceramint ZnO modified 1393 bioactive scaffolds with enhanced cytocompatibility and mechanical performance Akher Ali a,* , Bhisham Narayan Singh b , Sumit Kumar Hira c , S.P. Singh a , Ram Pyare a a Department of Ceramic Engineering, Indian Institute of Technology (BHU), Varanasi, Uttar Pradesh, 221005, India b School of Biochemical Engineering, Indian Institute of Technology (BHU), Varanasi, Uttar Pradesh, 221005, India c Department of Zoology, University of Burdwan, Purba Bardhaman, West Bengal, 713104, India ARTICLE INFO Keywords: Bioactive glass Scaffold Cytocompatibility Cell culture Bone tissue engineering ABSTRACT Zinc is one of the most essential and vital trace elements for our skeletal system and is accountable for formation, development and maintenance of healthy bones. In present investigation we have synthesized zinc based alkali phosphosilicate 1393 glass scaffolds (Z1, Z2, Z3 and Z4) with formula (54.6-X)SiO 2 –6Na 2 O-7.9K 2 O- 7.7MgO–22CaO-1.74P 2 O 5 -XZnO (where X = 0.0, 0.5, 1.0, 2.0; mol%) through melt-quench route followed by foam replica technique. This experiment deals with the evaluation of ZnO modified porous (Apparent por- osity > 50%) 1393 glass scaffolds for its desired physico-chemical and biological properties. In vitro bioactivity of these scaffolds was evaluated using XRD, FTIR, SEM-EDS and behavioral changes in pH. Cell adhesion, me- tabolic activity and Live/Dead assay were carried out using mouse fibroblast L929 cells via MTT assay. Further dose (material conc.) vs cell survivability and apoptosis of colon epithelium HCT 116 cells using Acridyne Orange and Ethidium Bromide (AO/BI) staining was performed. Results illustrates minimal cell lysis, significant increase in cellular metabolic activity, cytocompatibility, and physico-mechanical properties and enhancement in biomineralization and cellular attachments for the zinc derived 1393 scaffolds in comparison with the parent glass scaffold making ZnO derived scaffolds a suitable candidate for neo-bone tissue regenerative or re- constructive application. 1. Introduction Though found in trace amount zinc is one of the most beneficial micronutrients of our body. Zinc is present almost every part of our body like brain, heart, kidneys, muscles, tissues, body fluids and bones. It performs a variety of functions related to body's immune system, growth and maintenance, fertility, osteogenic differentiation and bone homeostasis [1–3]. It's not only a body's nutrient but also a medicine to prevent innumerous diseases. Zinc deficiency is associated with struc- tural malformation of brain, delayed cognitive development, stunting of growth, sexual immaturity and neuropsychological malfunctioning in children [4], oxi-inflamm-aging, immunosenescence, atherosclerosis and nervous degenerative diseases in elderly [5] and acrodermatitis enteropathica in women [6]. Zinc intake in the forms of food and supplements can reduce those abnormalities caused due to zinc defi- ciency [6]. Past research suggests that zinc doped bioactive glass has the potential to regenerate bone tissues due to their enhanced bioac- tivity [7]. Previous researches also claimed that the controlled delivery of zinc ions from the zinc doped bioactive glass inhibit the osteoclastic bone resorption, accelerate biomineralization and stimulate the bone forming cells to proliferate, differentiate and form new osteoblastic bones [8]. Zinc is considered to be the one of the most contributing micronutrients in formation and development of bones. Zinc deficient bones are prone to osteoporosis, a chronic bone disease, where bone strength is significantly compromised has an impact in overall popu- lation especially elderly women and aged people since decades [2,9]. Patients with osteoporosis found to have lesser skeletal zinc than re- quired [10]. Supplement of zinc ions has been reported to have en- hanced the bone density in postmenopausal women [11]. However zinc in combination with some ‘bioactive’ glasses has shown good result earlier. ‘Bioactive’ glasses as name suggest are a class of materials that elicit a response from the host tissue, have triggered a revolution in health- care since its discovery and opened a new path for the advanced ceramics driven regenerative medicine. Metals and alloys were being used as an implant material till the discovery of bioactive glasses [12]. Though metals/alloys posses superior load bearing ability they are often proven to be ‘nearly inert to toxic’ to the host tissue which lags https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ceramint.2019.11.159 Received 25 September 2019; Received in revised form 30 October 2019; Accepted 19 November 2019 * Corresponding author. E-mail address: akhera.rs.cer15@itbhu.ac.in (A. Ali). Ceramics International xxx (xxxx) xxx–xxx 0272-8842/ © 2019 Elsevier Ltd and Techna Group S.r.l. All rights reserved. Please cite this article as: Akher Ali, et al., Ceramics International, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ceramint.2019.11.159