Arjunic acid-biofunctionalized Cu-BCP scaffolds: A dual-action approach enabling concurrent osteogenic and antibacterial activities

Larger segmental bone defects caused by trauma, tumour or cystic lesions often hinder the natural bone healing procedure. Bone autograft is the predominant approach for addressing such major bone loss. The treatment of visible bone loss remains a primary clinical hurdle due to the limited delivery of oxygen and the nutrients required. This study comprehensively evaluates the properties, applications and modification approaches of a porous 3D ceramic BCP scaffold, which was fabricated and modified using a wet precipitation method followed by gradient sintering and freeze-drying. The synthetic scaffolds were modified by the incorporation of Cu ²⁺ ions (5 and 10 wt.%) and arjunic acid. In particular, arjunic acid and Cu ²⁺ ion release largely contributed to osteogenicity and inhibited bacterial colonization. The physicochemical attributes, osteogenic properties and antibacterial potential of the fabricated bio-functional composite scaffolds were assessed through physicochemical characterizations and in vitro biological assays. Structural and morphological analyses confirmed the formation of the porous scaffolds. In vitro studies, including wettability, swelling ratio, biodegradability, ion release, MTT assay, gene expression and bacterial viability, demonstrated superior osteogenic and bactericidal performance of the 10% Cu-BCP-ARJ scaffold. This work clarifies that the synergistic role of BCP, Cu ²⁺ ions and arjunic acid could pave the way for the development of more potent metal-ion-based ceramic prostheses and implants. Therefore, the Cu-BCP-ARJ scaffold shows strong potential as a bifunctional biomaterial for bone tissue engineering applications.