Bacteriostatic action of a novel four-component bioactive glass

Bacterial adhesion to biomaterials causing biomaterial-centered infection a nd poor tissue integration is a problem that limits the extensive use of ma ny biomaterial devices in clinical applications. Bioactive materials are th ose biomaterials that form a compliant, mechanically stable bond with host tissue. Sol-gel-derived glasses in the three-component system SiO2-CaO-P2O5 exhibit bioactivity that is dependent on composition and texture (i.e., sp ecific surface area, pore size, structure, and distribution). The in vitro bioactivity and antibacterial action of a novel sol-gel-derived glass, AgBG , in the system SiO2-CaO-P2O5-Ag2O are compared with those of its three-com ponent counterpart, BG. The incorporation of 3-wt % Ag2O conferred antimicr obial properties to the glass without compromising its bioactivity. AgBG ex hibited a marked bacteriostatic effect on E. coli MG1655 with a minimum inh ibiting concentration of 0.2 mg (biomaterial)/mL (culture solution), above which bacterial growth was reduced to 0.01% of that of the control culture. In comparison, BG did not possess antimicrobial properties over the concen tration range investigated (0.1-40.0 mg/mL). (C) 2000 John Wiley & Sons, In c.