Micro-Spectrometric Investigations of Inorganic Components of the Black Corals for Biomedical Applications

The distribution of about twenty inorganic elements was traced in the skeletons of black corals of the Antipathes salix species. Electron microprobe and PIXE mappings revealed the peculiar structure of this material, composed of the large cells (arranged in annual rings), surrounded by thin layers with an elevated level of iodine (up to 5%). Our current knowledge of the chemical composition of these corals’ skeleton is not complete. Essentially the organic skeleton is saturated with inorganic elements and several of these could be commercially important. In fact, they have never been investigated for biomedical applications. In this preliminary current work, black corals from the Antipathes salix species were studied with the aim of detecting the inorganic components of their matrix and their suitability as biomedical materials.