Marine Biopolymers as Bioactive Functional Ingredients of Electrospun Nanofibrous Scaffolds for Biomedical Applications

Abstract

Marine biopolymers, abundantly present in seaweeds and marine animals, feature diverse structures and functionalities, and possess a wide range of beneficial biological activities. Characterized by high biocompatibility and biodegradability, as well as unique physicochemical properties, marine biopolymers are attracting a constantly increasing interest for the development of advanced systems for applications in the biomedical field. The development of electrospinning offers an innovative technological platform for the production of nonwoven nanofibrous scaffolds with increased surface area, high encapsulation efficacy, intrinsic interconnectivity, and structural analogy to the natural extracellular matrix. Marine biopolymer-based electrospun nanofibrous scaffolds with multifunctional characteristics and tunable mechanical properties now attract significant attention for biomedical applications, such as tissue engineering, drug delivery, and wound healing. The present review, covering the literature up to the end of 2021, highlights the advancements in the development of marine biopolymer-based electrospun nanofibers for their utilization as cell proliferation scaffolds, bioadhesives, release modifiers, and wound dressings.

Biomimicry and 3D-Printing of Mussel Adhesive Proteins for Regeneration of the Periodontium—A Review

“…Commonly researched marine-derived biopolymers include alginate, chitosan, collagen, and HA, which have been investigated for targeted drug delivery, cell scaffolds, and bone or tissue regeneration ( Figure 4 ) [ 54 , 55 ]. However, the current limitations of many of the marine-derived biopolymers are their controlled degradation in vivo and their weak mechanical properties post-printing [ 56 ]. However, one avenue that has been proposed to overcome these challenges is the use of nacre, found in the inner layer of mollusk shells, which have been extensively researched as a model for dental and bone applications [ 57 , 58 ].…”

Recent Progress in Development of Dressings Used for Diabetic Wounds with Special Emphasis on Scaffolds

“…Microwave irradiation STZ (60 mg/kg) Male Netherlands rats (i) Scaffolds loaded with cod liver oil showed 6-folds decrease in open wound area as compared to cod liver alone-treated group [181] 2.…”

Green approaches for extraction, chemical modification and processing of marine polysaccharides for biomedical applications

“…The development of polysaccharide-based fibers and particles has gathered considerable attention in the biomedical field due to their high surface-to-volume ratio, enhancing loading of cargo as well as efficient nutrient and metabolite transfer and cell-matrix interactions (Kee Jo et al, 2020;Iliou et al, 2022). Advances in precision processing technologies have triggered the design of engineered polysaccharide-based biomaterials with well-defined shapes and sizes, especially aimed at tuning their physicochemical properties for the targeted biomedical application.…”

“…The unparalleled biological diversity of the marine realm is an extraordinary source of a plethora of natural macromolecules with higher bioactivity and chemical novelty when compared with those extracted from terrestrial life forms ( Zhang et al, 2016 ), thus making them particularly attractive to be applied in biomedicine and healthcare ( Wan et al, 2021 ; Iliou et al, 2022 ). Despite the marine environment reconnaissance as an endless diversity of natural compounds, the exploitation of marine biodiversity as a source of high added-value natural compounds is still at its early-stage, thus deserving further comprehensive attention ( Vieira et al, 2020 ).…”