To improve the corrosion resistance of magnesium, micro-arc oxidation (MAO) coatings were prepared on magnesium substrates in an aqueous solution with and without hydroxyapatite (HA) powders addition. The micrographs of scanning electron microscopy (SEM), the energy dispersive spectrometer (EDS) spectra, and X-ray diffraction (XRD) analysis show that the HA powders added into the electrolyte have participated in the formation reactions of MAO coating and the growth efficiency of MAO coating is greatly enhanced. Potentiodynamic polarization tests and immersion tests in simulated body fluid (SBF) confirm that the specimen anodized in the HA-containing electrolyte has a better corrosion resistance than the specimen anodized in the HA-free electrolyte. Immersion tests also indicate that the specimen anodized in the HA-containing electrolyte can more efficiently induce Ca-P precipitation compared with the specimen anodized in the HA-free electrolyte. (C) 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.