Biomedical Engineering Reference
In-Depth Information
Chapter 2
FROM VEGETABLE RESOURCES
M. L opez- Alvarez,
a
P. G o n z alez,
a*
J. Serra, A. de Carlos,
b
S. Chiussi,
a
andB.Leon
a
a
Department of Applied Physics, University of Vigo
b
Department of Biochemistry, Genetics and Immunology, University of Vigo,
Campus Lagoas-Marcosende, 36310 Vigo, Spain
*pglez@uvigo.es
Bioinspired silicon carbide (SiC) ceramics is a very promising
material for bone tissue engineering and regenerative medicine
applications, due to its outstanding mechanical properties, inter-
connected hierarchic porosity, and biocompatible behavior. This
innovativematerialisderivedfromvegetableresources,aswoods,
algae, and plants, following a ceramization process based on the
molten-Si infiltration of carbon templates obtained by controlled
pyrolysis of vegetable precursors. The final SiC ceramics retains
the combined macro- and microporosity of the original vegetable
structure, which resembles the natural hierarchical structure of
bone tissue.
The
in vitro
biocompatibilityoftheSiCceramicsobtainedfrom
sapelli wood (
Entandrophragma cylindricum
) was evaluated by
using the preosteoblastic cell line MC3T3-E1. Scanning electron
microscopy(SEM)andconfocallaserscanningmicroscopy(CLSM)
demonstrate that cells seeded onto the SiC ceramics were able to
attach, spread, and proliferate properly with the maintenance of
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