Synergistic Role of Gallic Acid‐Grafted Chitosan and Baghdadite in Promoting Osteogenic Differentiation of Mesenchymal Stem Cells on <scp>3D</scp> ‐Printed Scaffolds

ABSTRACT In this study, we provided a post‐fabrication modification process to resemble the organic and mineral phases of natural bone by employing gallic acid‐grafted chitosan (GA‐g‐CS) and baghdadite (BAG), respectively. We hypothesized that the simultaneous employment of GA‐g‐CS and BAG could improve the osteogenic differentiation potency of human adipose mesenchymal stem cells (hASCs), cultured on 3D‐printed scaffolds. For this purpose, GA‐g‐CS was prepared by a free radical reaction. The 1 HNMR, FTIR, and Folin–Ciocalteu analyses confirmed the successful and effective grafting of gallic acid on the chitosan structure. Furthermore, the successful formation of BAG, synthesized by a sol–gel method, was confirmed by XRD, EDX, and FTIR analyses. Four 3D‐printed samples, fabricated in this study, were pure PCL and PCL‐coated samples, named GA‐g‐CS, BAG, and GA‐g‐CS/BAG. The morphology and elemental analysis of fabricated scaffolds were evaluated by SEM and EDX‐MAP. Although % porosity was not changed by adding GA‐g‐CS or BAG, the %water absorption and hydrolytic degradation were enhanced in the presence of GA‐g‐CS or BAG. Despite the PCL and BAG groups, there was an acceptable % DPPH inhibition in samples containing GA‐g‐CS. The results of the biological assessments revealed that GA‐g‐CS/BAG can be a promising candidate for bone tissue engineering applications.