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In the present study, porous magnesium-xzeolite (x= 0, 3, 5 and 7 wt.%) composite scaffolds containing different amounts of zeolite were synthesized through combination of powder metallurgy (PM) and space holder (SH) techniques. The findings demonstrated that incorporation of zeolite into Mg composite scaffolds leads to higher compressive strength and corrosion resistance than Mg scaffolds without Zeo. Moreover, the Mg/Zeo composite scaffold presented good bioactivity, high capability in MG63 cell attachment and viability whereas a smaller number of cells could attach to the Mg scaffold without Zeo. The antibacterial response of these Mg/Zeo-Ag composite scaffolds against Gram-positive Staphylococcus aureus (S. aureus) and Gram negative Escherichia coli (E. coli) indicates the positive role of silver-zeolite in suppressing the bacteria growth. The aforementioned tests indicated that the articulated magnesium composite scaffold containing 7 wt.% Zeo with suitable mechanical strength and excellent biological activity may be considered as a promising biomaterial for bone substitution. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Mg-Ca-TiO 2 (MCT) composite scaffolds loaded with different concentrations of doxycycline (DC) with a network of interconnected pores with good compressive strength (5 ± 0.1 MPa) were fabricated via space holder method for the first time. The results showed that MCT-DC scaffolds possess a porosity and pore size in the range of 65–67% and 600–800 μm respectively. The bioactivity results exhibited the apatite formation on the MCT-DC scaffold surface, indicating that DC did not obstruct the bioactivity of MCT. The MCT-DC scaffolds drug release profiles show the initial burst and sustained drug release (55–75%) and the release rate could be adjusted via altering the DC concentration. The MCT loaded with 1 and 5% DC did not indicate cytotoxic behavior against MG63 cells while further DC loading resulted in some toxicity. Antimicrobial properties of MCT-DC scaffolds against Staphylococcus aureus ( S. aureus ) and Escherichia coli ( E. coli ) bacteria were examined and the results reveal oblivious inhibition zone around each MCT-DC scaffold whereas no obvious inhibition is observed around the MCT scaffold. Therefore, MCT-DC composite scaffolds with low concentration of DC could be alternative candidates for infection prevention and bone tissue engineering. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]