Biogenic gold nanoparticles stabilized with silk sericin and their impacts on osteogenic induction and surface modification of polymethyl methacrylate

Abstract

Biogenic metal nanoparticles have been of interest recently. The process of biogenic synthesis used biological extracts as reducing and capping agents in nanoparticle formation resulting in obtaining metal nanoparticles with good biocompatibility. Gold nanoparticles (AuNPs) are type of metal nanoparticles that have been used in various biomedical applications. This study demonstrated the use of AuNPs stabilized with silk sericin (AuNPs@SC) to enhance osteogenic induction using mouse mesenchymal stem cells (mMSCs) as a model cell. It showed that AuNPs@SC at concentration up to 100 µg/mL were nontoxic to mMSCs. Furthermore, AuNPs@SC at a concentration of 25 µg/mL were able to enhance production of osteogenic differentiation biomarker levels in mMSCs. An induction of osteopontin (OPN) and mineralization was found within 3 days after treating mMSCs with AuNPs@SC. The highest alkaline phosphatase (ALP) levels was detected after treating mMSCs with 25 µg/mL AuNPs@SC for 24 h. When the surface of polymethyl methacrylate (PMMA) was immobilized by AuNPs@SC (AuNPs@SC/PMMA), the surface roughness decreased (Ra = 75.67 ± 4.01 nm) and mMSCs were able to attach and grow on the surface of AuNPs@SC/PMMA.