combination of anchovy nanocalcium and shrimp shell nanochitosan on mandibular growth and density in young rats (𝑎𝑛 𝑖𝑛 𝑣𝑖𝑣𝑜 𝑜𝑛 𝑅𝑎𝑡𝑡𝑢𝑠 𝑛𝑜𝑟𝑣𝑒𝑔𝑖𝑐𝑢𝑠)

Bone regeneration is crucial for children’s growth and development. calcium, primarily stored in bones and teeth, plays a vital role in maintaining skeletal health. anchovy and shrimp shells, both abundant in indonesia, are rich in calcium and chitosan, respectively—natural compounds known to enhance osteoblast activity and bone formation. when formulated as nanoparticles, these biomaterials offer promising biomedical applications. this experimental laboratory study aimed to evaluate the effect of a combination of anchovy nanocalcium (stolephorus sp.) and shrimp shell nanochitosan (litopenaeus vannamei) on mandibular bone density and growth. twenty-five white rats (rattus norvegicus) were divided into five groups: k1 (standard feeding), k2 (standard feeding + calcium carbonate), p1 (standard feeding + anchovy nanocalcium), p2 (standard feeding + shrimp shell nanochitosan), and p3 (standard feeding + combination of nanocalcium and nanochitosan). the intervention lasted 40 days. bone morphology and microstructure (e.g., porosity and trabecular organization) were analyzed using scanning electron microscopy (sem), while mandibular growth was assessed by measuring arch length and bone weight. the results revealed that the combination of anchovy nanocalcium and shrimp shell nanochitosan (p3 group) significantly increased mandibular bone density (p = 0.008), arch length (p< 0.001), and bone weight (p = 0.001) compared to the other groups. in conclusion, the combination of anchovy nanocalcium and shrimp shell nanochitosan effectively enhances mandibular bone density and growth, suggesting its potential as a natural biomaterial-based intervention for supporting bone development, especially in children.