Evaluation of the therapeutic effect of chitosan scaffolds loaded with the different concentrations of Hesperidin in bone regeneration in rat model

Bone grafts are widely used to improve bone healing but this method is costly and make some serious problems like infection in long-term use. To solve these problems, tissue engineering by using scaffolds made of different materials can be used as a supportive structure to enhance bone healing. In the current study, 3-D chitosan (CS) bone scaffold was developed by freeze-drying techniques for bone tissue engineering. The efficiency of the CS scaffold was improved by loading different concentrations of Hesperidin (Hes). Scaffolds were characterized by different mechanical and biological tests to evaluate their properties. In addition, the effect of scaffolds on bone healing was evaluated by a rat femur defect model. Results showed that the porosity of scaffolds was about 45–257 µm and Hes has a negative effect on the mechanical strength of scaffolds. Also, due to the hydrophilic properties of Hes, the degradation rate increased. Histological and CT-Scan evaluation showed that the treated groups which scaffold loaded with 1% and 10% of Hes were fully replaced by new bone and collagenous matrix compared to control and Hesperidin (0%, 0.01%, 0.1%) treated groups. The Runx2 gene expression was significantly increased by 1% and 10% compared to other groups. These results showed the positive effect of the fabricated scaffold on osteogenesis and bone healing and the possibility of using it in clinical trials.