Jessica Lippert

Master student

Study of the Synergistic Effects of Bioactive Glasses with Manuka Honey

 

Supervisors: Marcela Arango Ospina, Prof. Aldo R. Boccaccini

In the field of bone tissue engineering bioactive glasses are one of the most important group of materials for producing scaffolds. Besides their good biocompatibility and biodegradability, they also develop osteogenic and angiogenic effects due to the release of several ions through the dissolution process [1]. For further improvement of the materials functionality, different agents can be added which will then also be released inside of the body. For this purpose, phytotherapeutic agents can be used, which have the advantage that they could have less undesirable side effects than synthetic drugs and can exhibit anti-inflammatory and antibacterial effects [2]. A well-known example of these properties is the manuka honey from New Zealand, which will be used in this project. The aim of this thesis is to investigate the synergistic effects of the dissolution products of bioactive glasses and manuka honey and to improve the release kinetics of the honey component when it is incorporated in a polymeric coating using nanoparticles, following previous results at the Erlangen Institute of Biomaterials [3]. For the analysis, cell biology and antibacterial assays will be performed and characterization techniques such as FTIR, UV-Vis and SEM will be considered.

[1] Hoppe, Alexander; Güldal, Nusret S.; Boccaccini, Aldo R.; A review of the biological response to ionic dissolution products from bioactive glasses and glass-ceramics; Biomaterials 32 (11); 2011; p. 2757–2774; doi: 10.1016/j.biomaterials.2011.01.004.

[2] Schuhladen, Katharina; Roether, Judith A.; Boccaccini, Aldo R.; Bioactive glasses meet phytotherapeutics: The potential of natural herbal medicines to extend the functionality of bioactive glasses; Biomaterials 217; 2019; doi: 10.1016/j.biomaterials.2019.119288.

[3] Arango Ospina, M., et al.  Manuka Honey and Zein Coatings Impart Bioactive Glass Bone Tissue Scaffolds Antibacterial Properties and Superior Mechanical Properties, Front. Mater., 7: 2021, 610889. doi: 10.3389/fmats.2020.610889