Advanced dendritic glucan‐derived biomaterials: From molecular structure to versatile applications

Abstract

There is considerable interest in the development of advanced biomaterials with improved or novel functionality for diversified applications. Dendritic glucans, such as phytoglycogen and glycogen, are abundant biomaterials with highly branched three‐dimensional globular architectures, which endow them with unique structural and functional attributes, including small size, large specific surface area, high water solubility, low viscosity, high water retention, and the availability of numerous modifiable surface groups. Dendritic glucans can be synthesized by in vivo biocatalysis reactions using glucosyl‐1‐phosphate as a substrate, which can be obtained from plant, animal, or microbial sources. They can also be synthesized by in vitro methods using sucrose or starch as a substrate, which may be more suitable for large‐scale industrial production. The large numbers of hydroxyl groups on the surfaces of dendritic glucan provide a platform for diverse derivatizations, including nonreducing end, hydroxyl functionalization, molecular degradation, and conjugation modifications. Due to their unique physicochemical and functional attributes, dendritic glucans have been widely applied in the food, pharmaceutical, biomedical, cosmetic, and chemical industries. For instance, they have been used as delivery systems, adsorbents, tissue engineering scaffolds, biosensors, and bioelectronic components. This article reviews progress in the design, synthesis, and application of dendritic glucans over the past several decades.

Developing hydrogels for gene therapy and tissue engineering

“…Dextran derived from the cell walls of cereals such as wheat, oats, and yeast constitutes homopolysaccharides with glucose units linked by glycosidic bonds and serves as a substitute for plasma in medicine [ 48 ]. Dextran hydrogels exhibit good biocompatibility, biodegradability, high gene transfection efficiency, and immunoisolation effects, reducing the immune response of the body and protecting therapeutic genes during gene transfection.…”

Solubilization of Hydrophobic Astaxanthin in Water by Physical Association with Phytoglycogen Nanoparticles

“…Native PG has been shown to bind small molecules such as concanavalin A, a glucose/mannosebinding lectin, 37−39 and different chemical modifications of PG have been developed that bind specific proteins and nucleic acids. 40,41 We evaluate the effectiveness of native PG to improve the effective solubility and stability of the hydrophobic molecule AXT in water. We describe a simple procedure that involves combining AXT-in-acetone with PG-in-water, followed by the evaporation of the acetone and lyophilization.…”

“…The large number of hydroxyl groups on the particle surface can be exploited to chemically modify PG, as well as to associate small molecules. Native PG has been shown to bind small molecules such as concanavalin A, a glucose/mannose-binding lectin, − and different chemical modifications of PG have been developed that bind specific proteins and nucleic acids. , …”