This study aimed to investigate the effects of zoledronic acid (ZA) and antibacterial CM11 peptide on the osteoinduction and antibacterial properties of bioactive glass (BG). The bioactive glass/gelatin (BG/Gel) composite was synthesized using the sol-gel method. The 2-x minimum inhibitory concentration of the peptide and 4.00 mg mL-1 of ZA were added to the BG/Gel during fabrication. The BG/Gel composite morphological and structural characteristics and anti-bacterial activities were analyzed using Fourier transform infra-red spectroscopy, scanning electron microscopy and disk diffusion test, respectively. The release of the peptide and ZA from BG/Gel was measured using ultra-violet spectroscopy. After 14 days, the effects of the peptide/ ZA-containing BG/Gel (PZ-BG/Gel) on the growth and differentiation of mesenchymal stem cells were evaluated using 3-[4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl]-2,5 diphenyl tetrazolium bromide, calcium and alkaline phosphatase assays, immunocytochemical staining for osteocalcin (OCN) and real-time polymerase chain reaction for OCN, type I collagen, bone morphogenetic protein 2 and Runt-related transcription factor-2 genes. The disk diffusion test showed the anti-microbial activity of the scaffold against multi-drug-resistant isolates of Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Staphylococcus aureus. Analyses showed a significantly higher level of stem cells differentiation into the osteo-genic cells in PZ-BG/Gel scaffold compared to BG/Gel scaffold alone. Accordingly, osteoblast markers were significantly increased in comparison with the control. In conclusion, the osteo-induction and antibacterial properties of BG-based scaffold can be improved using ZA and CM11.
