Biological impact of adding albumin and silver nanoparticles to concentrated growth factors

Background: Concentrated Growth Factor (CGF) is widely used in regenerative medicine and dentistry, but its rapid degradation limits long-term applications. Albumin-modified CGF (ALB-CGF) and silver nanoparticles (ALB-CGF-SNP) enhance stability and antimicrobial properties. This study evaluates growth factor release, degradation resistance, structural morphology and antibacterial efficacy of CGF, ALB-CGF and ALB-CGF-SNP. Methods: Blood samples from 15 healthy volunteers were processed to obtain CGF, ALB-CGF and ALB-CGF-SNP. Growth factor release, including Platelet-Derived Growth Factor-AB (PDGF-AB), Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor (VEGF), Transforming Growth Factor Beta-1 (TGF-β1) and Epidermal Growth Factor (EGF), was quantified using Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay (ELISA) at 1, 7, 14, 30 and 60 days of samples incubation at 37 °C. Degradation was assessed via a Bicinchoninic Acid (BCA) assay. Structural morphology was analyzed using Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM). Antibacterial efficacy against Staphylococcus aureus was evaluated using CFU counts. Statistical tests, including one-way ANOVA or Welch ANOVA with Tukey’s HSD or Dunnett T3 post hoc comparisons, were performed using GraphPad Prism version 10 (P < 0.05). Results: CGF exhibited a rapid release of growth factors within 7 days, peaking on Day 1 (TGF-β1: 15,398 pg/mL). By Day 14, ALB-CGF had significantly higher VEGF (448.4 vs. 296.4 pg/mL, P = 0.004) and TGF-β1 (5800 vs. 3519 pg/mL, P = 0.004) than CGF, while EGF (P = 0.397) and PDGF-AB (P = 0.368) showed no significant differences. ALB-CGF-SNP had the lowest initial release but maintained the highest concentrations at Day 30 (P < 0.001 for VEGF and EGF, P < 0.0001 for TGF-β1, not significant for PDGF-AB). Degradation analysis showed that CGF degraded rapidly, whereas ALB-CGF and ALB-CGF-SNP retained proteins beyond 60 days (P < 0.001). SEM revealed CGF’s dense fibrin matrix, ALB-CGF’s porous structure and ALB-CGF-SNP’s irregular network with denatured protein distribution. ALB-CGF-SNP showed the highest bacterial inhibition at 24 h (P < 0.0001), though CGF-based group differences were not statistically significant. Conclusion: ALB-CGF-SNP exhibited sustained growth factor release, extended degradation resistance and enhanced antibacterial activity. While CGF provides immediate effects, ALB-CGF prolongs release and ALB-CGF-SNP supports long-term bioactivity, making the latter a promising option for scaffold stability and infection control.