Chitosan-Based Materials for Biomedical Applications: Derivatives and Composites

A special issue of Macromol (ISSN 2673-6209).

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 31 August 2026 | Viewed by 1864

Editors


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Department of Drug Sciences, University of Pavia, Viale Taramelli 12, 27100 Pavia, Italy
Interests: silk-based nanoparticles; lipid nanoparticles; scaffold for tissue regeneration
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Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Chitosan is one of the most studied semisynthetic polymers thanks to its peculiar cationic nature and its potential uses in the field of biomedicine. After a few decades of studies, the interest in this material is still very high and even increasing in the scientific community due to the continuous development of new derivatives. Moreover, it also still draws plenty of attention due to the ability of chitosan to be easily associated with other polymers, for example, involving polyelectrolyte interaction, and with inorganic materials such as clays. The many applications proposed in the biomedical field rely on chitosan properties such as wound-healing behaviour, haemostatic activity, anti-inflammatory, and immunomodulatory properties. Therefore, reports on its use in scaffolds and systems for tissue repair and regeneration, nanofibers, hydrogels and nanoparticles with a variety of therapeutic applications, among which are antibacterial and antifungal, but also anticancer ones, are found in the literature.

The present Special Issue invites articles and reviews about chitosan innovative derivatives and composites, highlighting their characteristics involved in biological activity, and contributing to increasing the understanding of the biological behaviour of this versatile material and of its potential for expanded biomedical applications. 

Prof. Dr. Maria Bonferoni
Dr. Sara Perteghella
Guest Editors

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Keywords

  • chitosan
  • chitosan derivatives
  • chitosan composites
  • biomedical applications

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Published Papers (2 papers)

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Research

18 pages, 3124 KB  
Article
Development and Characterization of Agar–Chitosan and Gellan–Chitosan Biopolymer Films with Naringin for Wound Healing Applications
by Gulzeynep Begimova, Aishat Kuldanova, Irina Kuxina and Nazira Chinibekova
Macromol 2026, 6(3), 45; https://doi.org/10.3390/macromol6030045 - 6 Jul 2026
Viewed by 319
Abstract
Polysaccharide-based films are widely studied as topical systems due to their biocompatibility and tunable structural properties. In this study, composite films based on agar–chitosan (A-series) and gellan–chitosan (G-series) were developed with naringin as a bioactive component. The effects of polymer composition and naringin [...] Read more.
Polysaccharide-based films are widely studied as topical systems due to their biocompatibility and tunable structural properties. In this study, composite films based on agar–chitosan (A-series) and gellan–chitosan (G-series) were developed with naringin as a bioactive component. The effects of polymer composition and naringin loading on structural organization, swelling behavior, antibacterial activity, and biocompatibility were evaluated. The results show that agar-based systems exhibited significantly higher swelling (~1370%), indicating a more open and highly hydrated structure, whereas gellan-based films formed more compact networks with moderate swelling (~347%). The incorporation of naringin (0.25 g per formulation) led to a pronounced increase in swelling in gellan-based systems (~777%), suggesting reduced network density, while only a slight effect was observed for agar-based films (~1444%). Antimicrobial studies against Staphylococcus aureus confirmed activity in both systems. The gellan-based formulation showed increased antibacterial activity with higher naringin loading (up to 30.0 ± 0.0 mm), whereas agar-based systems demonstrated maximum activity at lower naringin content (27.67 ± 0.58 mm). These findings indicate that antibacterial performance is influenced not only by the amount of bioactive compound but also by matrix structure and release characteristics. In vivo studies of selected A-series samples confirmed good tolerability of the naringin-loaded film (A1N1), with no signs of systemic toxicity or skin irritation, while anti-inflammatory activity under acute conditions was limited. Overall, the developed polysaccharide-based films show potential as topical systems; however, further optimization of polymer composition and formulation parameters is required to achieve a balance between structural stability and biological performance. Full article
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20 pages, 3089 KB  
Article
Chitosan–PLGA Hybrid Nanocarriers Enhance Therapeutic Delivery of Doxorubicin for Hepatocellular Carcinoma
by Shajahan Azeez, Anbazhagan Sathiyaseelan, Mohana Thiruchenduran, Kaviyarasan Venkatesan and Latha Ragunathan
Macromol 2026, 6(2), 42; https://doi.org/10.3390/macromol6020042 - 10 Jun 2026
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Abstract
Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is among the most prevalent and lethal malignancies worldwide, with limited therapeutic outcomes due to systemic toxicity and suboptimal efficacy of conventional chemotherapeutics such as doxorubicin (DOX). In this study, we formulated and standardized DOX-loaded chitosan/poly (lactic-co-glycolic acid) nanoparticles (DLCNs) [...] Read more.
Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is among the most prevalent and lethal malignancies worldwide, with limited therapeutic outcomes due to systemic toxicity and suboptimal efficacy of conventional chemotherapeutics such as doxorubicin (DOX). In this study, we formulated and standardized DOX-loaded chitosan/poly (lactic-co-glycolic acid) nanoparticles (DLCNs) via a nanoprecipitation method and evaluated their therapeutic potential in a diethylnitrosamine (DEN)-induced Wistar rat model of HCC. Physicochemical analyses confirmed nanoscale size, favorable zeta potential, and high encapsulation efficiency, while Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) verified polymer–drug interactions. Biochemical analysis revealed that DLCNs significantly normalized elevated liver function markers (Aspartate aminotransferase (AST), alanine aminotransferase (ALT) and alkaline phosphatase (ALP), restored serum α-fetoprotein (AFP) to near-control levels, and reduced lipid peroxidation compared with free DOX and DEN controls. Antioxidant profiling demonstrated marked recovery of superoxide dismutase (SOD), catalase (CAT), and glutathione peroxidase (GPx), indicating restoration of hepatic redox balance. Histopathological evaluation further corroborated these findings, showing recovery of hepatic lobular architecture and reduction in necrosis and inflammatory infiltrates in DLCN-treated Wistar Albino rats, while free DOX groups exhibited hepatocellular damage. Overall, the results demonstrate that encapsulating DOX in a chitosan/PLGA nanocarrier improves therapeutic efficacy, mitigates hepatotoxicity, and enhances antioxidant defense, establishing DLCNs as a favorable candidate for HCC. Full article
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