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Biopolysaccharide Hydrogels

A special issue of Polymers (ISSN 2073-4360). This special issue belongs to the section "Polymer Networks and Gels".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 30 November 2026 | Viewed by 368

Editor


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Guest Editor
College of Biotechnology and Pharmaceutical Engineering, Nanjing Tech University, Nanjing 211816, China
Interests: microbial polysaccharide; biopolymers

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Research on biopolysaccharide hydrogels and their modification has emerged as a prominent focus in the field of biomaterials. Through methods such as chemical modification, physical blending, or bio-functionalization, significant improvements can be achieved in their mechanical properties, bioactivity, environmental responsiveness, and processability. In the food sector, their gel-forming properties are utilized for developing preservation packaging, nutrient delivery systems, and fat substitutes. Agriculturally, they serve as slow-release carriers to enhance water and fertilizer utilization efficiency, while also being applied in seed coating and soil remediation. Within environmental applications, modified polysaccharides exhibit high efficacy in adsorbing heavy metals and organic pollutants. The current research focuses on functional modification, stimuli-responsive design, and green preparation processes to advance sustainable agricultural development and environmental remediation. This Special Issue focuses on the development of polysaccharide resources and their applications in the food industry, agriculture, and the environment, including the microbial synthesis of innovative polysaccharides and the conversion of agricultural by-products such as cellulose and pectin into high-value biomaterials.

Prof. Dr. Shuang Li
Guest Editor

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Keywords

  • microbial polysaccharide
  • hydrogels
  • biopolymers
  • gelation behavior
  • rheological properties

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Published Papers (1 paper)

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Research

19 pages, 8391 KB  
Article
A Novel Sphingan Containing Enriched Guluronic Acid Residues and Its Hydrogel Properties
by Haolin Huang, Yuanjun Lu, Weiyi Tao, Caifeng Li, Junzhang Lin and Shuang Li
Polymers 2026, 18(11), 1339; https://doi.org/10.3390/polym18111339 - 28 May 2026
Viewed by 233
Abstract
In this study, it is shown that the strain Sphingomonas sp. HL-1 can utilize glucose, xylose and mixed sugars to produce high yields (28.7 g/L) of HL gum, which has a high molecular weight of 2.03 × 106 Da. HL gum is [...] Read more.
In this study, it is shown that the strain Sphingomonas sp. HL-1 can utilize glucose, xylose and mixed sugars to produce high yields (28.7 g/L) of HL gum, which has a high molecular weight of 2.03 × 106 Da. HL gum is a novel sphingan uniquely enriched in guluronic acid (16.74%) and galacturonic acid, with low rhamnose content, distinguishing it from conventional sphingans. It exhibits good solubility in water at 25 °C and 60 °C, pronounced shear-thinning behavior, and concentration-dependent, heat-activated gelation. Remarkably, even at a low concentration of 1% (w/v), HL gum forms a resilient hydrogel upon heating to 90 °C, achieving a gel strength of 2950 ± 130 g/cm2, and maintains gel stability under high salinity (up to 50 g/L). SEM micrographs revealed a clear temperature-dependent morphological transition: from fibrous structures at 20 °C to curled aggregates at 60 °C and finally to a porous fibrous network at 90 °C, consistent with a sol–gel transition. Combined with its ability to efficiently utilize mixed sugars in a short fermentation cycle, HL gum’s unique chemical composition and superior gelation properties distinguish it from conventional sphingans, highlighting its potential for food, biomedical, and industrial hydrogel applications. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Biopolysaccharide Hydrogels)
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