A Polycaprolactone-Hydroxyapatite (PCL/HAp) Scaffold, Prepared from Blue Crab Shell (Portunus Pelagicus) Waste, for Bone Substitution Applications

The fabrication of a biodegradable polycaprolactone (PCL)/hydroxyapatite (HAp) scaffold prepared from local waste blue crab shells (Portunus pelagicus) by melt spinning method was investigated. The effect of different KH₂PO₄ concentrations on the physico-chemical properties of HAp is evaluated. Furthermore, the influence of PCL/HAp ratios on mechanical strength and particle size distribution is reported. The formation of HAp is confirmed by Infrared (IR) spectroscopy and X-ray diffraction (XRD). The biocompatibility of the PCL/HAp composites was evaluated using MTT assay and mechanical tests. The results reveal that the increase in KH₂PO₄ concentration contributed to the higher yield of HAp. However, the crystal and particle sizes are relatively invariable. SEM micrograph shows that the HAp introduction into PCL improves the material‘s porosity. Moreover, adding 10 % HAp into the PCL matrix significantly improved the mechanical strength of the filament compared to commercial PCL. MTT assay exhibits above 90 % cell viability, implying that the prepared PCL/HAp composite is non-toxic and biocompatible with artificial bone replacement. After all, this study demonstrates that PCL/HAp filament derived from local blue crab waste is highly promising as a bone scaffolding material.