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Advances in Natural Polysaccharides: Synthesis, Modification, and Applications

A special issue of Polymers (ISSN 2073-4360). This special issue belongs to the section "Biobased and Biodegradable Polymers".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 30 November 2025 | Viewed by 334

Special Issue Editor


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Guest Editor
Material Science and Engineering College, Northeast Forestry University, Harbin 150040, China
Interests: shape memory polymer and driving method; polysaccharides; chitosan; nanofiber; UV light curing resin based on polybutadiene
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Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues, 

We have been invited by the Editors of Polymers to launch a Special Issue titled "Advances in Natural Polysaccharides: Synthesis, Modification, and Applications". 

Polysaccharides are the most abundant biological macromolecules in nature and include cellulose, chitin, starch, hyaluronic acid, and inulin, among others.  Due to their strong modifiability, biodegradability, and diverse functions, they have become key to developing a new generation of sustainable materials. By chemically modifying the hydroxyl, amino, and other active groups of polysaccharides, their mechanical properties, hydrophilicity, hydrophobicity, and stimulus responsiveness can be regulated. The resulting composite systems can also produce synergistic effects such as antibacterial, self-healing, and electrical conductivity properties. By leveraging techniques such as solution casting, electrospinning, and 3D printing, polysaccharide materials have given rise to innovative forms such as smart hydrogels and nanofiber membranes. Moreover, their application domains have expanded from biomedicine to food packaging, environmental remediation, and energy storage, among others, continuously achieving new breakthroughs. 

This Special Issue focuses on the cutting-edge achievements of polysaccharide-based materials, from their molecular design to their functional realization. It covers the synthesis of novel polysaccharide derivatives, alongside their structural regulation and multi-field applications, thus promoting innovative research on polysaccharide-based materials.

Dr. Dawei Zhang
Guest Editor

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

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. Polymers is an international peer-reviewed open access semimonthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2700 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • polysaccharides
  • polysaccharide derivatives
  • chitin
  • chitosan
  • cellulose
  • starch
  • hyaluronic acid
  • synthesis and modification

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Published Papers (1 paper)

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Review

69 pages, 3775 KiB  
Review
Polysaccharide-Based Nanocarriers for Natural Antimicrobials: A Review
by Elena Kotenkova, Aleksandr Kotov and Maxim Nikitin
Polymers 2025, 17(13), 1750; https://doi.org/10.3390/polym17131750 - 24 Jun 2025
Viewed by 254
Abstract
Global concerns about environmental pollution, poor waste management, and the rise in antimicrobial resistance due to uncontrolled antibiotic use have driven researchers to seek alternative, multifaceted solutions. Plants, animals, microorganisms, and their processing wastes serve as valuable sources of natural biopolymers and bioactive [...] Read more.
Global concerns about environmental pollution, poor waste management, and the rise in antimicrobial resistance due to uncontrolled antibiotic use have driven researchers to seek alternative, multifaceted solutions. Plants, animals, microorganisms, and their processing wastes serve as valuable sources of natural biopolymers and bioactive compounds. Through nanotechnology, these can be assembled into formulations with enhanced antimicrobial properties, high safety, and low toxicity. This review explores polysaccharides, including chitosan, alginate, starch, pectin, cellulose, hemicellulose, gums, carrageenan, dextran, pullulan, and hyaluronic acid, used in nanotechnology, highlighting their advantages and limitations as nanocarriers. Addressing the global urgency for alternative antimicrobials, we examined natural compounds derived from plants, microorganisms, and animals, such as phytochemicals, bacteriocins, animal antimicrobial peptides, and proteins. Focusing on their protection and retained activity, this review discusses polysaccharide-based nanoformulations with natural antimicrobials, including nanoparticles, nanoemulsions, nanocapsules, nanoplexes, and nanogels. Special emphasis is placed on strategies and formulations for the encapsulation, entrapment, and conjugation of natural compounds using polysaccharides as protective carriers and delivery systems, including a brief discussion on their future applications, prospects, and challenges in scaling up. Full article
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