Bone tissue engineering (BTE) offers an effective strategy for restoring bone defects through biomimetic scaffolds that promote osteogenic differentiation and tissue regeneration. Among silicate-based biomaterials, larnite (Ca 2 SiO 4 ) has emerged as a promising candidate owing to its superior bioactivity, and ability to support apatite formation. However, its intrinsic brittleness limits its application in load-bearing conditions. To overcome this limitation, a larnite-polymer composite scaffolds was fabricated by incorporating biodegradable polymers such as polyvinyl alcohol (PVA), polycaprolactone (PCL), and silk fibroin (SF) to improve flexibility, and mechanical integrity. Porous scaffolds (Lap-1, Lap-2, and Lap-3) were prepared via the freeze-drying technique, achieving a balance between porosity and mechanical strength. Among the three prepared scaffolds Lap-2 exhibited the most favourable characteristics, with a heterogeneous pore structure. After 9 days of immersion, the formation of a hydroxyapatite (HAp) layer confirmed its excellent bioactivity. Moreover, Lap-2 exhibited a compressive strength of 14.13 MPa, a Young’s modulus of 38.26 MPa, 59% antibacterial inhibition, and remarkable hemocompatibility with only 1.3% hemolysis, indicating its safety for biomedical use. The enhanced bioactivity and antibacterial efficiency, combined with improved mechanical integrity of the Lap-2 composite scaffold, highlight its strong potential for bone tissue engineering applications.
parthiban et al. (Wed,) studied this question.