Abstract
Abstract
Background
Osseointegration of titanium dental implants can be significantly affected by surface modification. Bioactive coatings that combine natural polymers and phytochemicals may be used to improve osteogenic responses. This study examined the in vitro effect of a chitosan–
Moringa oleifera
(Ch-MO) hydrogel coating on titanium discs on the metabolic activity, morphology, and mineralization of osteoblast-like MG-63 cells.
Materials and Methods
Thirty-three titanium discs were randomly allocated to three groups (n = 11/group): untreated control (Group A), chitosan-coated (Group B), and chitosan–
Moringa oleifera
composite-coated (Group C). Surface topography, roughness, and wettability were characterised by profilometry and contact-angle measurement. Osteoblast-like MG-63 cells were seeded on the discs in a 24-well plate format, and metabolic activity/viability was assessed at 24, 48, and 72 h using the MTT assay, with fresh cells seeded onto each disc for every time point and assays performed in technical triplicate; cell morphology was assessed by acridine orange staining, and mineral deposition by Von Kossa staining.
Results
Surface treatment had a significant effect on MTT-assessed metabolic activity (Treatment Group: F(2, 30) = 436.75, p Moringa oleifera
group showed the highest metabolic activity (101.63 ± 5.20%) compared with chitosan (90.83 ± 3.00%) and control (49.03 ± 12.11%) (all pairwise p Moringa oleifera
group, moderate attachment in the chitosan group, and minimal, loosely attached cells in the control group. Von Kossa staining showed qualitatively more extensive mineral (silver-reactive/phosphate) deposition in the chitosan–
Moringa oleifera
group than in the chitosan or control groups; this was not quantified.
Conclusion
Under the conditions of this in vitro study, the Ch-MO hydrogel coating was associated with greater MTT-assessed metabolic activity, more favourable cell morphology, and more extensive mineral deposition by osteoblast-like MG-63 cells than uncoated or chitosan-only titanium surfaces. Because the Ch-MO surface also had greater roughness and a lower contact angle than the comparator surfaces, these topographical and wettability differences may have contributed to the observed cellular response independently of the chemical effects of
Moringa oleifera
. These findings support further investigation of Ch-MO coatings as a candidate bioactive surface modification; they do not, on their own, establish enhanced osteogenic differentiation or improved in vivo osseointegration.