Synthesis and Characterisation of Nano-Hydroxyapatite from Nigerian Bovine Bones for Biomedical Scaffold Applications

This study synthesises and characterises nano-hydroxyapatite (nHA) derived from bovine bones sourced from abattoirs in Ibadan, Oyo State, South West Nigeria, for potential application as a scaffolding material in orthopaedic bone repair. Hydroxyapatite is the primary mineral phase of human bone, and nHA is widely used in porous scaffolds and coatings for bone tissue engineering. The use of bovine bone as a natural precursor is a low-cost and sustainable production route. Bovine cortical bones are defatted, deproteinised by NaOH treatment, and calcined at 900 and 1100 degrees Celsius. nHA is also produced by wet chemical precipitation from the calcined bone-derived calcium hydroxide reacted with phosphoric acid at controlled pH and temperature. Products are characterised by XRD for phase purity and crystallite size (Scherrer equation), FTIR for functional group identification, SEM-TEM for morphology and size measurement, and ICP-OES for Ca/P ratio determination. Cytotoxicity is assessed using the MTT assay with MC3T3-E1 preosteoblast cells. Findings confirm phase-pure hydroxyapatite with a Ca/P ratio of 1.67, crystallite sizes between 25 and 45 nm, and a needle-like morphology from precipitation synthesis. Cytotoxicity testing demonstrates no significant reduction in cell viability relative to controls. The study validates bovine bone-derived nHA as a biologically safe material with properties appropriate for scaffold fabrication. Keywords: hydroxyapatite, bovine bone, biomaterial, bone scaffold, Oyo State.