Polyurethane derived from castor oil monoacylglyceride (Ricinus communis) for bone defects reconstruction: characterization and in vivo testing

Area of Science:

• Biomaterials Science
• Tissue Engineering
• Polymer Chemistry

Background:

• Biomaterials offer versatile physical and chemical properties for tissue regeneration.
• Polyurethanes derived from natural sources like castor oil are explored for biomedical applications.
• Evaluating novel biomaterials is crucial for advancing bone defect repair strategies.

Purpose of the Study:

• To synthesize and characterize a novel polyurethane from castor oil monoacylglyceride.
• To evaluate the efficacy of this synthesized polyurethane in promoting bone defect reconstruction in a rat calvaria model.
• To compare its performance against a commercial castor oil-based polyurethane.

Main Methods:

• Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (FTIR) for chemical structure confirmation.
• Thermogravimetric Analysis (TG/DTG) for thermal stability assessment.
• X-ray Diffraction (XRD) for crystallinity analysis.
• Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM) for surface morphology.
• In vivo study in rats with histological and histomorphometric analysis of bone defects.

Main Results:

• FTIR confirmed the formation of monoacylglyceride and polyurethane.
• TG/DTG indicated good thermal stability around 125°C.
• XRD revealed semi-crystalline nature; SEM showed a smooth morphology.
• Histological and histomorphometric analyses showed no significant inflammation for both tested polyurethanes.
• The synthesized castor oil polyurethane (CPU) demonstrated statistically superior bone formation compared to the commercial control (PCP).

Conclusions:

• The synthesized castor oil polyurethane (CPU) is thermally stable and possesses suitable morphology for biomaterial applications.
• CPU effectively promotes bone regeneration with minimal inflammatory response.
• This novel polyurethane shows significant potential for future use in bone reconstruction therapies.