Acemannan and chitosan release from hydroxyapatite-coated titanium enhances in vitro and in vivo biological properties

Plasma-sprayed hydroxyapatite (HA)-coated titanium (Ti) implants have wide applications in orthopedic surgeries, effectively restoring load-bearing segmental bone defects. In this study, acemannan, an extract from aloe vera, is loaded on HA-coated Ti to evaluate its osteogenic and antibacterial properties. The biocompatibility of titanium (Ti) alloys is augmented with the osteoconductive properties of HA and osteoinductive properties of acemannan. Our results demonstrate that the release of acemannan enhances osteoblast viability and proliferation after 2 and 5 days of culture. Release of acemannan leads to ~ 60% new bone formation at early stages in vivo. In the presence of acemannan and chitosan, enhanced mineralization is observed as early as 5 weeks after implantation. The samples loaded with acemannan exhibit 99% antibacterial efficacy against Staphylococcus aureus. Our results illustrate that acemannan and chitosan-laden HA-coated Ti aids bone healing while promoting infection control.