State of Innovation in Marine-Derived Bio-Based Materials for Biomedical and Pharmaceutical Applications

A special issue of Marine Drugs (ISSN 1660-3397). This special issue belongs to the section "Biomaterials of Marine Origin".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (31 October 2023) | Viewed by 8766

Special Issue Editor

National Research Council of Canada, Aquatic and Crop Resource Development Research Centre, Halifax, NS, Canada
Interests: fisheries and aquaculture waste-stream valorization; sustainable bioprocessing; bioactive and functional bioproducts
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Marine-derived biomaterials have found usage in a wide spectrum of biomedical and pharmaceutical applications due to their bioactivity, biocompatibility and nontoxicity. Since their emergence a few decades ago, marine-derived bio-based materials gained popularity among biomedical researchers and are still a hot topic in biomedicine and pharmaceutical sciences. The aim of the current Special Issue is to highlight recent and innovative developments in marine-derived biomaterials in terms of extraction and processing methods, chemical and biological characterization, as well as their applications in the biomedical and pharmaceutical fields.

In this Special Issue, original research articles and comprehensive reviews are welcome. Research topics may include, but are not limited to, marine proteins (collagen and gelatin), marine polysaccharides (agar, alginates, carrageenans, cellulose, chitin, chitosan, fucoidans, glycosaminoglycans (chondroitin sulfate and hyaluronic acid) and ulvans), and hydroxyapatite obtained from marine organisms.

Dr. Zied Khiari
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. Marine Drugs is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly 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 2900 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

  • fish, shellfish, and crustaceans
  • macroalgae/seaweed
  • biomaterials
  • proteins
  • polysaccharides
  • hydroxyapatite
  • tissue engineering
  • regenerative medicine
  • pharmaceutical
  • drug delivery

Published Papers (4 papers)

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Research

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20 pages, 11795 KiB  
Article
Fibrin and Marine-Derived Agaroses for the Generation of Human Bioartificial Tissues: An Ex Vivo and In Vivo Study
by Olimpia Ortiz-Arrabal, Ainhoa Irastorza-Lorenzo, Fernando Campos, Miguel Ángel Martín-Piedra, Víctor Carriel, Ingrid Garzón, Paula Ávila-Fernández, María José de Frutos, Emilio Esteban, Javier Fernández, Agustín Janer, Antonio Campos, Jesús Chato-Astrain and Miguel Alaminos
Mar. Drugs 2023, 21(3), 187; https://doi.org/10.3390/md21030187 - 17 Mar 2023
Cited by 4 | Viewed by 1234
Abstract
Development of an ideal biomaterial for clinical use is one of the main objectives of current research in tissue engineering. Marine-origin polysaccharides, in particular agaroses, have been widely explored as scaffolds for tissue engineering. We previously developed a biomaterial based on a combination [...] Read more.
Development of an ideal biomaterial for clinical use is one of the main objectives of current research in tissue engineering. Marine-origin polysaccharides, in particular agaroses, have been widely explored as scaffolds for tissue engineering. We previously developed a biomaterial based on a combination of agarose with fibrin, that was successfully translated to clinical practice. However, in search of novel biomaterials with improved physical and biological properties, we have now generated new fibrin-agarose (FA) biomaterials using 5 different types of agaroses at 4 different concentrations. First, we evaluated the cytotoxic effects and the biomechanical properties of these biomaterials. Then, each bioartificial tissue was grafted in vivo and histological, histochemical and immunohistochemical analyses were performed after 30 days. Ex vivo evaluation showed high biocompatibility and differences in their biomechanical properties. In vivo, FA tissues were biocompatible at the systemic and local levels, and histological analyses showed that biointegration was associated to a pro-regenerative process with M2-type CD206-positive macrophages. These results confirm the biocompatibility of FA biomaterials and support their clinical use for the generation of human tissues by tissue engineering, with the possibility of selecting specific agarose types and concentrations for applications requiring precise biomechanical properties and in vivo reabsorption times. Full article
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Review

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23 pages, 3019 KiB  
Review
Recent Developments in Bio-Ink Formulations Using Marine-Derived Biomaterials for Three-Dimensional (3D) Bioprinting
by Zied Khiari
Mar. Drugs 2024, 22(3), 134; https://doi.org/10.3390/md22030134 - 16 Mar 2024
Viewed by 570
Abstract
3D bioprinting is a disruptive, computer-aided, and additive manufacturing technology that allows the obtention, layer-by-layer, of 3D complex structures. This technology is believed to offer tremendous opportunities in several fields including biomedical, pharmaceutical, and food industries. Several bioprinting processes and bio-ink materials have [...] Read more.
3D bioprinting is a disruptive, computer-aided, and additive manufacturing technology that allows the obtention, layer-by-layer, of 3D complex structures. This technology is believed to offer tremendous opportunities in several fields including biomedical, pharmaceutical, and food industries. Several bioprinting processes and bio-ink materials have emerged recently. However, there is still a pressing need to develop low-cost sustainable bio-ink materials with superior qualities (excellent mechanical, viscoelastic and thermal properties, biocompatibility, and biodegradability). Marine-derived biomaterials, including polysaccharides and proteins, represent a viable and renewable source for bio-ink formulations. Therefore, the focus of this review centers around the use of marine-derived biomaterials in the formulations of bio-ink. It starts with a general overview of 3D bioprinting processes followed by a description of the most commonly used marine-derived biomaterials for 3D bioprinting, with a special attention paid to chitosan, glycosaminoglycans, alginate, carrageenan, collagen, and gelatin. The challenges facing the application of marine-derived biomaterials in 3D bioprinting within the biomedical and pharmaceutical fields along with future directions are also discussed. Full article
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26 pages, 4323 KiB  
Review
State of Innovation in Alginate-Based Materials
by Katarzyna Adamiak and Alina Sionkowska
Mar. Drugs 2023, 21(6), 353; https://doi.org/10.3390/md21060353 - 08 Jun 2023
Cited by 2 | Viewed by 3158
Abstract
This review article presents past and current alginate-based materials in each application, showing the widest range of alginate’s usage and development in the past and in recent years. The first segment emphasizes the unique characteristics of alginates and their origin. The second segment [...] Read more.
This review article presents past and current alginate-based materials in each application, showing the widest range of alginate’s usage and development in the past and in recent years. The first segment emphasizes the unique characteristics of alginates and their origin. The second segment sets alginates according to their application based on their features and limitations. Alginate is a polysaccharide and generally occurs as water-soluble sodium alginate. It constitutes hydrophilic and anionic polysaccharides originally extracted from natural brown algae and bacteria. Due to its promising properties, such as gelling, moisture retention, and film-forming, it can be used in environmental protection, cosmetics, medicine, tissue engineering, and the food industry. The comparison of publications with alginate-based products in the field of environmental protection, medicine, food, and cosmetics in scientific articles showed that the greatest number was assigned to the environmental field (30,767) and medicine (24,279), whereas fewer publications were available in cosmetic (5692) and food industries (24,334). Data are provided from the Google Scholar database (including abstract, title, and keywords), accessed in May 2023. In this review, various materials based on alginate are described, showing detailed information on modified composites and their possible usage. Alginate’s application in water remediation and its significant value are highlighted. In this study, existing knowledge is compared, and this paper concludes with its future prospects. Full article
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24 pages, 2598 KiB  
Review
Alginate-Based Hydrogels and Scaffolds for Biomedical Applications
by Simonida Lj. Tomić, Marija M. Babić Radić, Jovana S. Vuković, Vuk V. Filipović, Jasmina Nikodinovic-Runic and Marija Vukomanović
Mar. Drugs 2023, 21(3), 177; https://doi.org/10.3390/md21030177 - 13 Mar 2023
Cited by 13 | Viewed by 3217
Abstract
Alginate is a natural polymer of marine origin and, due to its exceptional properties, has great importance as an essential component for the preparation of hydrogels and scaffolds for biomedical applications. The design of biologically interactive hydrogels and scaffolds with advanced, expected and [...] Read more.
Alginate is a natural polymer of marine origin and, due to its exceptional properties, has great importance as an essential component for the preparation of hydrogels and scaffolds for biomedical applications. The design of biologically interactive hydrogels and scaffolds with advanced, expected and required properties are one of the key issues for successful outcomes in the healing of injured tissues. This review paper presents the multifunctional biomedical applications of alginate-based hydrogels and scaffolds in selected areas, highlighting the key effect of alginate and its influence on the essential properties of the selected biomedical applications. The first part covers scientific achievements for alginate in dermal tissue regeneration, drug delivery systems, cancer treatment, and antimicrobials. The second part is dedicated to our scientific results obtained for the research opus of hydrogel materials for scaffolds based on alginate in synergy with different materials (polymers and bioactive agents). Alginate has proved to be an exceptional polymer for combining with other naturally occurring and synthetic polymers, as well as loading bioactive therapeutic agents to achieve dermal, controlled drug delivery, cancer treatment, and antimicrobial purposes. Our research was based on combinations of alginate with gelatin, 2-hydroxyethyl methacrylate, apatite, graphene oxide and iron(III) oxide, as well as curcumin and resveratrol as bioactive agents. Important features of the prepared scaffolds, such as morphology, porosity, absorption capacity, hydrophilicity, mechanical properties, in vitro degradation, and in vitro and in vivo biocompatibility, have shown favorable properties for the aforementioned applications, and alginate has been an important link in achieving these properties. Alginate, as a component of these systems, proved to be an indispensable factor and played an excellent “role” in the optimal adjustment of the tested properties. This study provides valuable data and information for researchers and demonstrates the importance of the role of alginate as a biomaterial in the design of hydrogels and scaffolds that are powerful medical “tools” for biomedical applications. Full article
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