Covalent coating of hydroxyapatite by keratin stabilizes gentamicin release

A novel hybrid hydroxyapatite (HAP) matrix, covalently coated with rarely applied, hardly degradable keratin and effectively modified by gentamicin immobilized in mixed-type mode (via interactions of diverse strength), was created. This hybrid showed a remarkably high drug immobilization yield and the most sustainable antibiotic release among all tested composites. It was also able to inhibit bacterial growth, both in surrounding liquid and on matrix surface, much longer (for at least 121 days of experiment) than analogous gelatin-modified and nonmodified matrices. Gentamicin-keratin-coated-HAP granules were nontoxic to human osteoblasts and enabled their proliferation with a rate similar as noncoated HAP. Presence of keratin on HAP granules seemed to slightly enhance the osteoblast proliferation. The results indicate that newly created HAP hybrid with covalently immobilized keratin and gentamicin—nontoxic and osteoblast-friendly—is a promising biomaterial of significantly prolonged antibacterial activity. © 2008 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Biomed Mater Res Part B: Appl Biomater, 2009