Effect of Zn and Ga doping on bioactivity, degradation, and antibacterial properties of borate 1393-B3 bioactive glass

Borate 1393-B3 bioactive glasses doped with ZnO or Ga2O3 (1, 3, and 6% mol) were produced by conventional melt quenching. All doped glasses showed in-vitro bioactivity in simulated body fluid (SBF). For the first time, the dissolution behavior of the glasses both in phosphate-buffered saline (PBS) and cell culture medium was investigated. The ion release rate in the cell culture medium increased compared to that in PBS solution. All tested glass compositions, including the parent 1393-B3 glass, showed antibacterial effect against S. aureus and E. coli. The incorporation of Zn and Ga enhanced the viability of MG-63 osteoblast-like cells compared to the base 1393-B3 glass. The results show the potential of Zn and Ga-doped borate glasses in multifunctional tissue engineering applications.