Calcium Gluconate

The core mechanism of action of Calcium Gluconate is the dissolution and release of calcium ions (Ca²⁺), which increases blood calcium levels. Ca²⁺ serve as important intracellular and extracellular signaling molecules used to regulate many physiological processes. Functioning as a second messenger, Ca²⁺ signals regulate neuronal excitability and membrane potential, synaptic transmission, and intracellular signal transduction. Upon neuronal depolarization Ca²⁺ enters cells through voltage-gated calcium channels and receptor-mediated channels leading to an increase in intracellular Ca²⁺ concentration and subsequent neurotransmitter release. Ca²⁺ binds calcium sensing proteins like calmodulin, leading to activation of Ca²⁺-dependent kinases and signaling pathways responsible for learning and memory.

Fig. 1 Calcium ions in the physiology of the central nervous system. (Aylin R. Rodan.; et al. 2023)

Bacterial cellulose/hydroxyapatite (BC/HAp) composite materials have been proved to be excellent in bone tissue engineering. Traditional biomimetic mineralization methods are time-consuming and often yield composites with suboptimal mechanical properties and biocompatibility. In the work by Shi et al., the carbon source in the bacterial biosynthesis medium was replaced by calcium gluconate to give nucleation sites for the further mineralization with hydroxyapatite in simulated body fluid. As a result, the spherical porous HAp particles (100–200 nm in diameter) could uniformly and completely fill the three-dimensional network structure of BC nanofibers after five days of mineralization, which can greatly improve the mechanical properties and biocompatibility of BC/HAp composites with a simplified fabrication process.

Fig. 2 Calcium gluconate-driven fabrication of BC/HAp nanocomposites.(Lin Shi.; et al. 2022)