Chitosan - zeolite scaffold as a potential biomaterial in the controlled release of drugs for osteoporosis.

Chitosan scaffolds are a potential material in many biomedical applications. A particularly interesting application is their use in bone tissue engineering. Because of their biocompatibility and nontoxicity, they are an ideal material for this application. What is missing from chitosan scaffolds is controlled drug release. They can obtain this property by adding drug carriers. In this work, chitosan‑calcium zeolite scaffolds were prepared and used in the controlled release of the drug for osteoporosis - risedronate. Their properties have been compared with those of the popular chitosan-hydroxyapatite scaffold. The zeolite was evenly distributed throughout the scaffold. More drug was retained on the scaffold with the addition of zeolite compared to that with the hydroxyapatite. The new scaffolds have proven to be able to retain the drug and slowly release it in small doses. The results obtained are promising and show great potential for this material in bone tissue engineering.