Abstract
In this study, three anhydrous forms of calcium carbonate, namely
vaterite, aragonite and calcite, with distinct morphologies were incorporated
inside silk-fibroin to fabricate composite scaffolds for tissue engineering
applications. To assess calcium phosphate mineralization, composite scaffolds
were treated with simulated body fluid up to one month. It was observed that
composite scaffolds having different calcium carbonate polymorphs expressed
different mineralization. Incorporating 25 wt. % of vaterite polymorph, which
was the least stable form of calcium carbonate under aqueous conditions,
induced the highest calcium phosphate mineralization in silk-fibroin while
calcium carbonate-free silk-fibroin scaffolds expressed no calcium phosphate
deposition. Results highlighted the importance of calcium carbonate particles
in enhancing the bioactivity of silk-fibroin based composite scaffolds.