Brewing Waste May Assist Bone Regeneration
In the past, bones were regenerated using sheep bones or synthetic materials which were costly and bio-hazardous. Recent studies have developed an eco-friendly material which is biodegradable and obtained from the waste products of the food industry. In particular, residue left over after brewing beer caught researchers’ eyes.
This study was conducted at Centre for Biomedical Technology of Universidad Politécnica de Madrid (UPM) and the Institute of Materials Science and the Institute of Catalysis and Petrochemistry of Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas (CSIC). The results showed that the residue left after beer production was rich in contents like calcium, phosphorus, silica, etc. These were coincidently nutrients that help bones become stronger. The residue was incorporated to be used as a material in bone replacements as well as a coating in bone grafts. Not only does this material decrease the burden of the accumulated eco waste, it also provides nutrient-rich media for the treatment of bone diseases.
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