Zinc Doped Akermanite: A Promising Biomaterial for Orthopedic Application with Enhanced Bioactivity, Mechanical Strength, and Bacterial Study

Incorporating zinc into biocompatible materials has been identified as a potential strategy for promoting bone regeneration and osteogenic activity during hard tissue regeneration. This work aimed to investigate the impact of zinc doping on the structure of akermanite, which was synthesized using the sol-gel combustion method, with the goal of improving the biological response. Powder XRD and FT-IR analysis confirmed the phase purity and the respective functional groups associated with Zn-doped akermanite. Further XPS analysis confirmed the presence of zinc with the respective binding energies in the akermanite matrix. According to the results obtained from the analysis, the apatite-forming ability of Zn-doped akermanite demonstrated enhanced apatite deposition on the surface of the pellet after 9 days of immersion in the SBF medium. The measured mechanical parameters, including compressive strength (140-189 MPa) and Young's modulus (2505-3599 MPa), fall within the range of human cortical bone. Antimicrobial results showed an improved inhibition rate of the doped ceramics compared to pure akermanite with an inhibition percentage of 87% even at lower concentrations. The hemocompatibility of the materials showed hemolysis of human blood cells within the acceptable range without exhibiting toxicity. Cytotoxicity results demonstrate the biocompatibility of the materials with the MG-63 cell line. Based on the results, akermanite doped with zinc at optimal concentrations was found to be compatible and nontoxic promoting it as a potential alternative for bone regeneration in orthopedic applications.