Scientists Discover Plant Polymer Lignin May Boost Future Bone Repair - Video

Could trees help heal broken bones? Scientists have turned a plant material into a bone-friendly scaffold.

A natural substance that helps trees stay strong may one day help repair broken bones. Researchers have discovered that lignin, a major structural material found in plants, can be converted into a bone-friendly biomaterial that supports bone healing and new bone formation.

The study, published in ACS Biomaterials Science & Engineering, suggests that this plant-based material could become a more sustainable alternative to traditional bone graft materials, many of which come from animal sources or synthetic products.

Lignin is one of the most abundant natural polymers on Earth and is produced in large amounts by agriculture and the paper industry. Although it is known for its antioxidant and antibacterial properties, its potential for bone repair has remained largely unexplored.

In the new study, researchers extracted two different forms of lignin from sorghum plants and tested them alone and together with silica, another natural material found in plants.

One type of lignin performed especially well. Within two weeks, calcium began building up on its surface. Over the next four weeks, phosphorus was deposited and hydroxyapatite—the mineral that gives bones and teeth their strength—gradually formed. The material also slowly broke down under normal body conditions, allowing it to be replaced by newly formed bone during healing.

The team also tested how bone-forming cells responded. At suitable concentrations, the lignin material was biocompatible and even stimulated the growth of pre-osteoblasts, the cells responsible for building new bone. Lignin combined with silica also supported healthy cell growth while degrading at a desirable rate.

Although animal and human studies are still needed, the findings suggest that renewable plant-based materials could one day provide a safer, more sustainable option for repairing damaged bones while reducing dependence on animal-derived and mined materials.

REFERENCE: Palakurthy, S., et al. (2026). Plant-Based Matrix for Bone Apatite Biomineralization: In Vitro Bioactivity, Biocompatibility, and Degradability of Lignin and Lignin-Silica Composites. ACS Biomaterials Science & Engineering. DOI: 10.1021/acsbiomaterials.5c01871.