Development of Chitosan–Hydroxyapatite Membranes from Bone of Armoured Catfish (Pterygoplichthys spp.) for Applications in Guided Bone Regeneration (GBR)

Nowadays, there is an increasing interest in the development of novel bioresorbable membranes for Guided Bone Regeneration (GBR), and for this purpose, hydroxyapatite, from different sources, has been tested in combination with chitosan. This work details the production and the characterization of membranes of chitosan reinforced with hydroxyapatite derived from the bone of armoured catfish (Pterygoplichthys spp.), which is a widely available natural resource. The hydroxyapatite was characterized morphologically and chemically after the particles of hydroxyapatite were incorporated into a chitosan matrix. Then, the impact of adding hydroxyapatite particles into a matrix of chitosan on the roughness, mechanical properties, degradation, and cytotoxicity was evaluated. Subsequently, an in vivo test was carried out with the purpose of elucidating its guided bone regeneration activity, where the newly developed chitosan–hydroxyapatite membranes were implanted in rabbits with calvarial bone defects. The membranes of chitosan–hydroxyapatite presented a very rough surface morphology compared to the membranes of chitosan; moreover, the membranes of chitosan–hydroxyapatite showed superior mechanical tensile properties. The Masson’s trichrome staining analysis histologically demonstrated that the membranes of chitosan–hydroxyapatite enhanced the formation of a complete mineralized bone matrix in the calvarial bone defects. Finally, these findings confirm that the bone of armoured catfish (Pterygoplichthys spp.) is a viable, economic, and environmentally friendly source for isolating hydroxyapatite, which, combined with a matrix of chitosan, can be a suitable alternative to develop biocompatible GBR membranes.