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New Trends and Challenges in Polysaccharide Biomaterials
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New Trends and Challenges in Polysaccharide Biomaterials

A special issue of International Journal of Molecular Sciences (ISSN 1422-0067). This special issue belongs to the section "Biochemistry".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (31 March 2025) | Viewed by 3336

Special Issue Editors

Dr. Izabela Pawlaczyk-Graja

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Guest Editor
Laboratory of Bioproducts Technology, Department of Engineering and Technology of Chemical Processes, Faculty of Chemistry, Wrocław University of Science and Technology, Wybrzeże Wyspiańskiego 29, 50-370 Wrocław, Poland
Interests: plant polysaccharides; glycoconjugates; pectins; separation technology; chemical technology; chemical process design; process optimization; chromatography; carbohydrate chemistry; bioactivity; ethnomedicine; phytochemistry
Dr. Marta Tsirigotis-Maniecka

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Guest Editor
Laboratory of Bioproducts Technology, Department of Engineering and Technology of Chemical Processes, Organic and Pharmaceutical Technology Group, Wrocław University of Science and Technology, Wybrzeże Wyspiańskiego 29, 50-370 Wrocław, Poland
Interests: encapsulation; controlled drug delivery; targeted drug delivery; biomaterials; polysaccharides; carbohydrate chemistry; phytochemicals
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Polysaccharide-based materials exhibit excellent natural biocompatibility and biodegradability, and they have received increased research attention due to their unique structural diversity. Due to their ability to form cross-linked multidimensional structures, they are widely used as components in pharmaceutical, biomedical, biotechnological products, and as materials for environmental purposes. The field of application of polysaccharides is very wide, ranging from their use in medicine, through food products, to cosmetics and biomedical usage, and still meets new targets. The presence of numerous hydroxyl and optionally carboxyl or amino groups along the polymer chains enables their chemical functionalization, thus extending their exploitation opportunities. Polysaccharides and their conjugates are used in the formation of micelles, micro- and nanoparticles, fibers, scaffolds, films, and hydrogels to meet various application needs. Therefore, such generations of biomaterials, in addition to their traditional uses, are widely studied for implementation in new applications, i.e., in broadly understood drug delivery and tissue engineering, as materials supporting wound healing, the immobilization of microorganisms, and even providing a favorable microenvironment for cell growth in tissue engineering.

This Special Issue aims to highlight the basic as well as applied aspects of advanced polysaccharide research in various research areas and present new trends and challenges related to the use of polysaccharide biomaterials, including, but not limited to, medicine, biochemistry, food chemistry, drug delivery, and environmental science, in the paper industry and biorefinery.

Dr. Izabela Pawlaczyk-Graja
Dr. Marta Tsirigotis-Maniecka
Guest Editors

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Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. International Journal of Molecular Sciences is an international peer-reviewed open access semimonthly journal published by MDPI.

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Keywords

  • polysaccharides
  • glucoconjugates
  • functional materials
  • hydrogels
  • nanoparticles and nanofibers
  • microparticles
  • cellulose derivatives
  • biocompatibility and biological functions
  • biomedical applications
  • tissue engineering
  • drug delivery
  • food chemistry

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Published Papers (4 papers)

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Research

18 pages, 4822 KiB  
Article
Co-Encapsulation of Phycocyanin and Albumin-Bound Curcumin in Biopolymeric Hydrogels
by Konstantina Matskou, Ilias Matis, Sotiria Demisli, Konstantinos Rigkos, Eirini Karandrea, Kalliopi Kourioti, Georgios Sotiroudis, Vasiliki Pletsa, Aristotelis Xenakis and Maria Zoumpanioti
Int. J. Mol. Sci. 2025, 26(8), 3805; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms26083805 - 17 Apr 2025
Viewed by 191
Abstract
Co-encapsulation of hydrophilic and hydrophobic compounds within a single delivery system remains a significant challenge across various scientific and industrial fields. Towards this direction, an encapsulation strategy is proposed, enabling the simultaneous incorporation of both hydrophilic and hydrophobic biomolecules within a hydrogel matrix. [...] Read more.
Co-encapsulation of hydrophilic and hydrophobic compounds within a single delivery system remains a significant challenge across various scientific and industrial fields. Towards this direction, an encapsulation strategy is proposed, enabling the simultaneous incorporation of both hydrophilic and hydrophobic biomolecules within a hydrogel matrix. Specifically, the cyanobacterial protein phycocyanin (hydrophilic), extracted and purified by dry Arthrospira maxima biomass, and curcumin (hydrophobic) bound to bovine serum albumin (BSA) were utilized. This approach facilitates the indirect entrapment of hydrophobic molecules within the hydrophilic hydrogel network. The structural and physicochemical properties of the resulting hydrogels were characterized using optical analysis, scanning electron microscopy (SEM), and confocal laser scanning microscopy (CLSM). Additionally, the antioxidant potential of the encapsulated biomolecules was evaluated to assess their functionality after the encapsulation. Furthermore, a cell viability assay confirmed the hydrogel’s biocompatibility and lack of toxicity, demonstrating its suitability as a multifunctional biomaterial for biomedical and pharmaceutical applications. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue New Trends and Challenges in Polysaccharide Biomaterials)
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17 pages, 12385 KiB  
Article
Application of Polysaccharides in Hydrogel Biomaterials
by Piotr Szatkowski, Zuzanna Flis, Anna Ptak and Edyta Molik
Int. J. Mol. Sci. 2025, 26(7), 3387; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms26073387 - 4 Apr 2025
Viewed by 279
Abstract
Natural compounds incorporated into hydrogel materials have been widely used to support wound healing due to their numerous properties. The aim of this research was to produce hydrogel biomaterials with the addition of adjuvants, such as sodium alginate and polyethylene glycol diacrylate (PEGDA) [...] Read more.
Natural compounds incorporated into hydrogel materials have been widely used to support wound healing due to their numerous properties. The aim of this research was to produce hydrogel biomaterials with the addition of adjuvants, such as sodium alginate and polyethylene glycol diacrylate (PEGDA) with the addition of ethylene ginger extract (EEI). A thermogravimetric (TG) study, differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), dynamic mechanical analysis (DMA), water absorption testing and microscopic analysis were carried out to determine the properties of the developed dressing. The conducted research showed that the 4%Alg/12%PEGDA hydrogel was characterized by the best water absorption values and the slowest weight loss as a function of temperature. Additionally, the 4%Alg/12%PEGDA hydrogel had the best ability to dissipate stress in its structure. It was found that the addition of the ginger modifier had a negative effect on the water absorption values. Hydrogel containing 4%Alg 12%PEGDA 12%EEI showed the best hydrophilic properties and the highest ionic conductivity. The studies conducted showed that both the addition of PEGDA and EEI to hydrogels affects the increase in acidity of dressings. This is important because maintaining an acidic wound microenvironment is a potential therapeutic strategy for wound management. Therefore, although further research is needed, it is possible that 4%Alg 12%PEGDA 12%EEI hydrogel could be used as a high-performance wound dressing. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue New Trends and Challenges in Polysaccharide Biomaterials)
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23 pages, 5930 KiB  
Article
Modulation of Structural and Physical-Chemical Properties of Fish Gelatin Hydrogel by Natural Polysaccharides
by Aidar T. Gubaidullin, Aliya I. Galeeva, Yuriy G. Galyametdinov, Georgiy G. Ageev, Alexey A. Piryazev, Dimitri A. Ivanov, Elena A. Ermakova, Alena A. Nikiforova, Svetlana R. Derkach, Olga S. Zueva and Yuriy F. Zuev
Int. J. Mol. Sci. 2025, 26(7), 2901; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms26072901 - 22 Mar 2025
Viewed by 529
Abstract
Gelatin, a water-soluble protein, shows unique gellification properties, which determine the active commercial availability of gelatin hydrogels in modern alimentary, cosmetic, and pharmaceutical applications. The traditional sources of gelatin for industrial technologies are pork and bovine skin and bones, which sometimes produce religious [...] Read more.
Gelatin, a water-soluble protein, shows unique gellification properties, which determine the active commercial availability of gelatin hydrogels in modern alimentary, cosmetic, and pharmaceutical applications. The traditional sources of gelatin for industrial technologies are pork and bovine skin and bones, which sometimes produce religious and some other restrictions. In recent years, there has been a significant increase in the production of gelatin from alternative sources, such as raw fish materials. Unfortunately, fish gelatin is characterized by weak gelling ability and a decrease in gelation and melting temperature, which are a consequence of the amino acid composition and structural features of fish gelatin. One of the ways to strengthen the natural gelling properties of fish gelatin is the structural modification of gelatin hydrogels by the introduction of polysaccharides of various natural origins. We have studied the association of our laboratory-made fish gelatin with three polysaccharides, namely, κ-carrageenan, alginate, and chitosan, which have distinct chemical structures and gelling capabilities. Structural features of the studied systems were analyzed by small-angle X-ray scattering (SAXS), powder X-ray diffraction (PXRD), and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). We applied computer modeling of molecular interactions between fish gelatin and polysaccharides by means of molecular docking and molecular dynamics approaches. The existence of a correlation between the structure of gelatin-polysaccharide systems and their physicochemical properties was demonstrated by wetting angles (flow angles) and dynamic light scattering (DLS) studies of hydrodynamic sizes and surface ζ-potential. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue New Trends and Challenges in Polysaccharide Biomaterials)
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11 pages, 2058 KiB  
Article
Antioxidant Active Polysaccharides Extracted with Oxalate from Wild Blackthorn Fruits (Prunus spinosa L.)
by Peter Capek and Iveta Uhliariková
Int. J. Mol. Sci. 2024, 25(8), 4519; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms25084519 - 20 Apr 2024
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1172
Abstract
Although several therapeutic effects have been attributed to wild blackthorn fruits, their use is still negligible. Purification of the antioxidant-active fraction, obtained from wild blackthorn fruits by hot ammonium oxalate extraction (Ao), yielded seven fractions after successive elution with water, sodium chloride and [...] Read more.
Although several therapeutic effects have been attributed to wild blackthorn fruits, their use is still negligible. Purification of the antioxidant-active fraction, obtained from wild blackthorn fruits by hot ammonium oxalate extraction (Ao), yielded seven fractions after successive elution with water, sodium chloride and sodium hydroxide solutions. The purified fractions differ in carbohydrates, proteins, and phenolics. About 60% of the applied Ao material was recovered from the column, with the highest yields eluted with 0.25 M NaCl solution, accounting for up to 70 wt% of all eluted material. Analyses have shown that two dominant fractions (3Fa and 3Fb) contain 72.8–81.1 wt% of galacturonic acids, indicating the prevalence of homogalacturonans (HG) with a low acetyl content and a high degree of esterification. The low content of rhamnose, arabinose and galactose residues in both fractions indicates the presence of RG-I associated with arabinogalactan. In terms of yield, the alkali-eluted fraction was also significant, as a dark brown-coloured material with a yield of ~15 wt% with the highest content of phenolic compounds of all fractions. However, it differs from other fractions in its powdery nature, which indicates a high content of salts that could not be removed by dialysis. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue New Trends and Challenges in Polysaccharide Biomaterials)
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