A new insight into biomedical applications of an apatite like oxyphosphate – BiCa4(PO4)3O

• Synthesized compounds were pure and crystalline.
• Antimicrobial activity against E.coli, S.aureus and C.albicans were studied by spread plate method.
• Copper substitution enhanced the antimicrobial activity of the oxyapatite.
• All compounds were non-cytotoxic except manganese and zinc substituted oxyapatite.

Divalent ion (Cu, Co, Mn, Mg and Zn) substituted BiCa4(PO4)3O (BCPO) – an apatite like oxyphosphate is synthesized by conventional high temperature solid state method and characterized by powder X-ray diffraction (XRD), Fourier Transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR), Thermogravimetric analysis (TGA), Scanning electron microscope (SEM) and Energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDAX). Antimicrobial properties of these synthesized materials are studied by spread plate method against the three organisms E.coli, S.aureus, and C.albicans. It is noticed from the results that Copper substitution improved the antibacterial activity of the oxyapatite compared to other divalent ion substitution. Cytotoxicity study is carried out by MTT assay method against fibroblast NIH 3T3 cell line. All the synthesized compounds are non-cytotoxic except Mn(II) and Zn(II) substituted oxyapatite.