Mesoporous bioactive glass nanoparticles (MBGNs) are promising for bone tissue engineering; however, surgical site infection and oxidative stress often compromise regeneration. To address this, MBGNs co-doped with cerium (Ce), zinc (Zn), and strontium (Sr) were synthesized using a microemulsion-assisted sol-gel route (xCe-yZn-Sr-MBGNs; x = 0, 1, 2; y = 0, 0.5, 1). The resulting spherical nanoparticles (150–200 nm) exhibited a mesoporous structure with a specific surface area of (~340–425 m²/g), sustained ion release, and apatite formation in simulated body fluid. In vitro evaluations with MC3T3-E1 pre-osteoblasts demonstrated dose-dependent cytocompatibility, specifically in the co-doped formulations; however, higher Ce concentrations (2Ce-yZn-Sr-MBGNs) reduced viability following prolonged exposure. Crucially, the 1Ce-1Zn-Sr-MBGNs significantly enhanced osteogenic differentiation, as evidenced by a two-fold increase in osteogenic marker gene expression and a ~45% increase in calcium mineral deposition compared to undoped MBGNs within 14 days. Moreover, these particles accelerated cell migration, achieving ~70% scratch-wound closure within 24 h. Furthermore, 1Ce-1Zn-Sr-MBGNs displayed strong radical scavenging capacity and potent antibacterial activity against S. aureus and P. aeruginosa. These findings indicated that 1Ce-1Zn-Sr-MBGNs exhibited multiple therapeutic effects, including antibacterial, radical-scavenging, and osteogenic effects. By optimizing dopant ratios, these multifunctional nanomaterials emerge as promising candidates for next-generation bone grafts or implant coatings. Within the scope of this study, they demonstrated the capacity to simultaneously address three critical challenges in bone healing: controlling infection, mitigating oxidative stress, and promoting mineralized tissue formation. While these in vitro results provide a robust foundation, further in vivo validation is warranted to confirm their efficacy within complex physiological environments.

Bone defects are a major health issue, affecting millions of patients and reducing their quality of life. The alternative regenerative approaches for bone healing and formation are required due to the limitations of bone graft, a gold standard treatment, which include immune rejection, pathogen transmission, and limited donor supply. One approach that is being explored is to identify factors or natural products that can induce osteogenic differentiation, an important process involved in bone repair. In this study, the potential of methanolic extract of cape gooseberry (Physalis peruviana) on the induction of osteogenic differentiation was investigated. Total phenolic and flavonoid contents of cape gooseberry crude extract were found to be 1.874 mg QE/g and 0.037 mg GAE/g respectively. The cytotoxicity of cape gooseberry extract at the concentration of 10, 25, 50, and 100 μg/ml were tested by MTT assay. The results showed that at the concentration of 10, 25, and 50 μg/ml, the extract was not toxic to the cells and the highest cell viability was observed at concentrations of 10 and 25 μg/ml. Osteogenic differentiation was assessed using two osteogenic assays, Alkaline Phosphatase (ALP) activity and alizarin red staining. The results indicated that cape gooseberry extract can induce the activity of ALP enzyme and the deposition of calcium in the matrix as quantified from alizarin red staining at all time points (7, 14, and 21 days). The ALP induction was significantly higher than both control and differentiation (osteogenic induction) groups. The calcium deposition was significantly increased when the cells were treated with cape gooseberry extract. Furthermore, it was discovered that 25 μg/ml was the extract’s most effective concentration. According to all of the findings, cape gooseberry shows promise in promoting osteogenic differentiation, making it a potential candidate for bone tissue regeneration applications.