Pure magnesium is a well-studied metallic material for biodegradable implants, but its rapid degradation rate is a major disadvantage. Silver is known for its excellent antimicrobial and anti-inflammatory properties, but its hemolytic and cytotoxic properties are a major concern. In the presented study, to control the fast degradation rate of magnesium, silver nanoparticles (NPs) were mixed with magnesium in varying proportions. Magnesium-silver composites have been prepared using powder metallurgy techniques with three different proportions of silver Viz. 0.75 %, 1 %, and 1.25 % silver. For the suitability of a composite as an implant material, corrosion rate, hemolysis, and antibacterial activity were investigated with pure magnesium as the control. Pure magnesium shows a corrosion rate of around 5 mm/year, while magne-sium-silver composites show around 1.2 mm/year. Zone of inhibition and hemolysis values are higher for magnesium-1.25 % silver when compared with other specimens. Magnesium-0.75 % silver has hemolysis and antibacterial activity similar to pure magnesium, with a lower value of corrosion rate. Silver NPs on their own are hemolytic and cytotoxic, but Magnesium-silver nanocomposites with a silver wt % lower than 1.25 % can be further explored as a suitable biomaterial with reduced corrosion rate and better biocompatibility.
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