Calcium carbonate (CaCO3)-based materials have received notable attention for biomedical applications owing to their safety and beneficial characteristics, such as pH sensitivity, carbon dioxide (CO2) gas generation, and antacid properties. Herein, to additionally incorporate antioxidant and anti-inflammatory functions, we prepared tannylated CaCO3 (TA-CaCO3) materials using a simple reaction between tannic acid (TA), calcium (Ca2+), and carbonate (CO32-) ions. TA-CaCO3 synthesized at a molar ratio of 1:75 (TA:calcium chloride (CaCl2)/sodium carbonate (Na2CO3)) showed 3-6 μm particles, comprising small nanoparticles in a size range of 17-41 nm. The TA-CaCO3 materials could efficiently neutralize the acid solution and scavenge free radicals. In addition, these materials could significantly reduce the mRNA levels of pro-inflammatory factors and intracellular reactive oxygen species, and protect chondrocytes from toxic hydrogen peroxide conditions. Thus, in addition to their antacid property, the prepared TA-CaCO3 materials exert excellent antioxidant and anti-inflammatory effects through the introduction of TA molecules. Therefore, TA-CaCO3 materials can potentially be used to treat inflammatory cells or diseases.
Keywords: ROS scavenging activity; antacid; anti-inflammation; calcium carbonate (CaCO3); chondrocytes; tannic acid (TA).