Characterization of carbonate apatite derived from chicken bone and its in-vitro evaluation using MC3T3-E1 cells

Chicken bone by-product has the potential to be utilized as a source of carbonate apatite (CO₃Ap) for the preparation of bone grafts. In this study, the raw bones were cleaned with NaCl and then immersed in NaOH solution at 80 °C. After chemical treatment, the as-prepared powder was calcined in a range of 300 °C–900 °C. The results showed that calcination was useful for the complete elimination of organic residues; but, it led to increasing of crystal size, coarsening of particles, and the loss of the carbonate groups in the apatite structure. In vitro evaluation showed that CO₃Ap prepared at the optimum temperature, 500 °C, exhibited a great biological response; such as good cell attachment, cell viability, and cell morphology. This research suggests a promising biomaterial for the fabrication of bone substitutes and could offer a solution for recycling and adding value to food waste. (paper)