Advances in Succinoglycan-Based Biomaterials: Structural Features, Functional Derivatives, and Multifunctional Applications

Succinoglycan (SG), a rhizobial exopolysaccharide produced by Sinorhizobium meliloti, has attracted increasing attention as a sustainable biomaterial due to its unique molecular structure and versatile physicochemical properties. Over the past decade, an expanding number of studies have explored SG in biomedical, pharmaceutical, and materials-science contexts; however, a comprehensive understanding linking its biosynthetic mechanisms, structural features, chemical modifications, and functional performances has not yet been systematically summarized. This review therefore aims to bridge this gap by providing an integrated overview of recent advances in SG research from biosynthesis and molecular design to emerging multifunctional applications, while highlighting the structure, property, and function correlations that underpin its material performance. This review summarizes recent advances in SG biosynthesis, structural characterization, chemical modification, and multifunctional applications. Progress in oxidation, succinylation, and phenolic grafting has yielded derivatives with remarkably enhanced rheological stability, antioxidant capacity, antibacterial activity, and multi-stimuli responsiveness. These developments have supported the creation of biodegradable and bioactive smart films possessing superior barrier, mechanical, and optical properties, thereby extending their potential use in bio-medical and biotechnological applications such as food packaging and wound dressings. In parallel, SG-based hydrogels exhibit self-healing, adhesive, and injectable characteristics with tunable multi-stimuli responsiveness, offering innovative platforms for con-trolled drug delivery and tissue engineering. Despite these advances, industrial translation remains hindered by challenges including the need for scalable fermentation, reproducible quality control, and standardized modification protocols to ensure batch-to-batch consistency. Overall, the structural tunability and multifunctionality of SG highlight its promise as a next-generation platform for polysaccharide-based biomaterials.