Insufficient mechanical strength and bioactive properties of dextran hydrogels, limits their potential applications in hard tissue engineering. In the present study, a nanocomposite hydrogels comprised of a sol–gel derived bioactive glass (nBGC: 64% SiO2, 31% CaO, 5% P2O5) with mean particle size of 77 nm and dextran was developed through a chemical crosslinking method for use as abiodegradable scaffold. Bioactivity of nanocomposite hydrogels was assessed through apatite formation during submersion in simulated body fluid (SBF) at a specific period of time. The effect of nBGC addition was evaluated on the bioactive capacity of the fabricated nanocomposite hydrogels .The scaffolds showed significant enhancement in bioactivity within immersion in SBF solution. The apatite formation at the surface of the nanocomposite samples confirmed by scanning electron microscopy (SEM) analysis. Regard to enhanced bioactivity, the developed dextran/ nBGC composite hydrogel could be considered as an ideal candidate for bone tissue engineering application.
