Functionalization of Textile Biomaterials by Polysaccharide Biopolymers for Biomedical Applications: Recent Advances and Future Perspectives

Suliman S Aba-alkhayl; Chiraz Ammar; Bechir Hammami; Yassine El-Ghoul

doi:10.25259/JQUS_41_2025

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10.25259/JQUS_41_2025

Functionalization of Textile Biomaterials by Polysaccharide Biopolymers for Biomedical Applications: Recent Advances and Future Perspectives

Suliman S Aba-alkhayl¹, Chiraz Ammar², Bechir Hammami¹, Yassine El-Ghoul^1,

1Department of Chemistry, College of Science, Qassim University, Buraidah, Saudi Arabia

2Department of Fashion Design, College of Arts and Design, Qassim University, Buraidah, Saudi Arabia

* Corresponding author: Prof Yassine El-Ghoul, Department of Chemistry, College of Science, Qassim University, Buraidah, 51452, Saudi Arabia. y.elghoul@qu.edu.sa

Received: 2025-12-18, Accepted: 2026-01-10, Epub ahead of print: 2026-05-09,

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This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution-Non Commercial-Share Alike 4.0 License, which allows others to remix, transform, and build upon the work non-commercially, as long as the author is credited and the new creations are licensed under the identical terms.

How to cite this article: Aba-alkhayl SS, Ammar C, Hammami B, El-Ghoul Y. Functionalization Of Textile Biomaterials By Polysaccharide Biopolymers For Biomedical Applications: Recent Advances And Future Perspectives. J Qassim Univ Sci. doi: 10.25259/JQUS_41_2025

Abstract

Biomedical textiles are increasingly required to provide more than passive mechanical support; they must actively contribute to healing, protection, and tissue regeneration. Polysaccharide biopolymers, owing to their natural origin, biocompatibility, biodegradability, and rich chemical functionality, offer a versatile platform for engineering next-generation bioactive textile materials. This review presents a comprehensive analysis of recent advances in the functionalization of natural, synthetic, and regenerated textile substrates using key polysaccharides, including chitosan, alginate, carrageenan, pectin, and cellulose derivatives. Functionalization strategies ranging from physical coatings and covalent grafting to hydrogel formation, nanoparticle-polysaccharide hybrids, and advanced plasma-assisted or layer-by-layer techniques are critically examined. These approaches enable textiles to acquire antimicrobial activity, enhanced biocompatibility, controlled drug-release capabilities, improved moisture management, and tissue-regenerative properties. The major biomedical applications, including wound dressings, surgical textiles, tissue engineering scaffolds, and smart therapeutic or sensing fabrics, are discussed alongside the relevant characterization methods and biological performance evaluations. Current limitations, regulatory considerations, and commercialization challenges are also highlighted. Finally, future research directions are outlined to guide the development of multifunctional, eco-friendly, and clinically translatable polysaccharide-functionalized biomedical textiles. This review underscores the strategic importance of polysaccharides as sustainable, high-performance functionalization agents that can transform traditional textiles into intelligent biomedical systems.

Keywords

Antioxidant

Antimicrobial fabrics

Bioactive polysaccharides

Biomedical textiles

Medical textile engineering

Textile surface functionalization

Wound dressing materials

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INTRODUCTION

Biomedical textiles represent a rapidly expanding class of materials engineered to interact beneficially with the human body in therapeutic, protective, and regenerative contexts.^[1-5] These fiber-based systems encompass a broad spectrum of products, including wound dressings, implantable meshes, sutures, prosthetic fabrics, surgical drapes, hemostatic pads, tissue-engineering scaffolds, and textile-based drug-delivery platforms. Their clinical relevance is increasing due to rising demand for advanced wound care, the global burden of chronic diseases, the expansion of minimally invasive surgery, and the emergence of wearable therapeutic and diagnostic systems.^[6-10]

The effectiveness of biomedical textiles depends not only on their mechanical strength, flexibility, porosity, and structural integrity, but also on their biocompatibility, non-toxicity, antimicrobial protection, moisture management, and controlled interaction with cells, tissues, and biofluids.^[11-14] While natural fibers such as cotton, cellulose, silk, and wool inherently exhibit some degree of biocompatibility, they often lack targeted bioactivity. Conversely, synthetic fibers such as polyester, nylon, polypropylene, and polyurethane offer excellent durability and mechanical performance but are typically bio-inert, hydrophobic, and lacking in therapeutic functionality.^[15-17] These limitations highlight the need for innovative surface modification strategies capable of transforming conventional textile substrates into multifunctional, bioactive, and responsive materials.^[18-20]

In this context, the functionalization of textile biomaterials using natural polysaccharide biopolymers has emerged as a powerful approach to enhance their interaction with biological systems. Polysaccharides, including chitosan, alginate, carrageenan, pectin, cellulose derivatives, and other marine- or plant-derived biomacromolecules, offer numerous advantages: they are abundant, renewable, biodegradable, and biocompatible, and they possess high functional group density, enabling diverse chemical and physical interactions with textile substrates.^[21-26] Their intrinsic properties, such as antimicrobial activity (chitosan), gel-forming capacity (alginate, carrageenan, pectin), bioadhesion, hemostasis, and antioxidant behavior, make them particularly attractive for biomedical applications. Moreover, polysaccharides serve as excellent matrices for incorporating nanoparticles, therapeutic agents, and bioactive molecules, thus enabling multifunctional textile systems with combined antimicrobial, anti-inflammatory, and regenerative properties.^[27-31]

Recent advancements in surface engineering. including covalent grafting, layer-by-layer assembly, plasma activation, electrospinning, nanoparticle integration, and hydrogel coating, have further expanded the potential of polysaccharide-functionalized textiles.^[32-35] These techniques enable the creation of durable, controlled, and stimuli-responsive bioactive surfaces tailored to specific clinical needs, such as chronic wound healing, infection control, tissue regeneration, and localized drug delivery.^[36-40]

This review provides a comprehensive examination of polysaccharide-based strategies for the functionalization of textile biomaterials. It discusses the structural and chemical characteristics of major polysaccharides, explores recent functionalization methodologies, evaluates the resulting physicochemical and biological properties, and highlights the diverse biomedical applications of these advanced materials. By integrating insights from biotechnology, polymer chemistry, materials science, and textile engineering, this review aims to guide the development of next-generation biofunctional and smart biomedical textiles that address emerging medical challenges and improve patient outcomes.

Unlike previously published reviews that focus primarily on either biomedical textiles or polysaccharide-based biomaterials separately, this review provides an integrated and critical analysis linking polysaccharide chemical structure, textile functionalization strategies, and resulting biological performance. Particular emphasis is placed on durability, scalability, and challenges in clinical translation, thereby offering a comprehensive framework for the rational design of next-generation functionalized biomedical textiles.

In this review, the term ‘surface coating’ refers to physical deposition without covalent bonding, ‘chemical grafting’ denotes covalent attachment of functional groups, and ‘functionalization’ is used as a general term encompassing both approaches.

TEXTILE BIOMATERIALS FOR BIOMEDICAL USE

Textile biomaterials provide a versatile platform for medical devices, wound-management products, tissue-engineering constructs, and drug-delivery systems. The intrinsic structure, chemistry, and surface properties of the fibers used largely determine their performance.^[41-46] Although many fibers possess desirable mechanical and structural characteristics, they often require surface functionalization to enhance bioactivity, antimicrobial performance, and cell interactions. Polysaccharide biopolymers have emerged as a particularly effective strategy for imparting these functionalities. This section reviews natural, synthetic, and regenerated/advanced fibers, highlighting their biomedical relevance and the role of polysaccharide-based functionalization. Beyond chemical composition, textile engineering parameters such as fabric weave, porosity, fiber diameter, and surface roughness play a critical role in governing polysaccharide uptake, coating uniformity, and biological interactions. Open and porous textile architectures generally promote higher functionalization efficiency and improved fluid exchange, which are essential for biomedical applications such as wound dressings. In comparison, natural fibers offer superior biocompatibility and moisture management, and regenerated fibers provide high purity and reproducibility. In contrast, synthetic fibers exhibit excellent mechanical durability but require surface activation to achieve biofunctionality. Polysaccharide functionalization can partially compensate for the inherent limitations of each fiber class.

Natural fibers

Natural fibers, including cotton, cellulose, silk, and wool, are widely used in biomedical applications due to their biocompatibility, hydrophilicity, biodegradability, softness, and exudate-absorbing properties.^[47-49] However, these fibers are inherently bio-inert and require functionalization to introduce antibacterial, anti-inflammatory, hemostatic, or regenerative properties.

Cotton is among the most widely used natural textiles in wound dressings, surgical drapes, and hygiene products. Functionalization with polysaccharides significantly enhances its performance. Chitosan-functionalized cotton exhibits strong antibacterial activity and improved wound-healing performance. Various research studies reported that cotton treated with AgNP-based polymer nanocomposites exhibited excellent antimicrobial activity, achieving more than 99% reductions in S. aureus and E. coli, with excellent wash durability. Alginate- or pectin-coated cotton gauze forms hydrogels that maintain a moist healing environment, which is crucial for chronic wound care, while quaternized chitosan-functionalized cotton improves fibroblast adhesion and proliferation, demonstrating enhanced cytocompatibility for wound-contact layers.^[50-55]

Cellulosic fibers, including microcrystalline cellulose, cellulose acetate, and regenerated cellulose, provide a bio-friendly platform with high surface reactivity. TEMPO-oxidized cellulose and nanocellulose fibers coated with chitosan promote rapid clot formation in trauma wound models, exhibiting enhanced hemostatic properties.^[56,57] Cotton–cellulose hybrid dressings modified with carrageenan hydrogels improve swelling, antimicrobial activity, and skin compliance, highlighting the benefits of polysaccharide functionalization for advanced wound care.^[58,59]

Several studies by El-Ghoul and collaborators illustrate the versatility of cellulosic fibers in biomedical applications. Cellulosic dressings grafted with Aloe vera polysaccharides showed strong antimicrobial activity and improved biocompatibility.^[60,61] Alginate and Carthamus tinctorius polysaccharide extracts grafted onto cellulosic dressings produced superabsorbent, bioactive wound dressings suitable for chronic wounds.^[62] Chitosan and Suaeda fruticosa polysaccharides were combined and grafted onto cellulosic substrates, enhancing antibacterial activity and swelling properties.^[11] More recently, electrospun cellulose nanofibers incorporated with propolis demonstrated excellent antimicrobial performance and promising in vivo wound-healing outcomes.^[62] Additionally, β-cyclodextrin-functionalized viscose/polyester dressings demonstrated controlled drug-loading potential, highlighting regenerated cellulose as a versatile platform for therapeutic textiles.^[63]

Synthetic fibers

Synthetic fibers, including polyester (PET), nylon (PA), polypropylene (PP), and polyurethane (PU), are extensively used in biomedical textiles due to their high mechanical strength, chemical stability, and resistance to sterilization. Despite these advantages, synthetic fibers are generally hydrophobic and bio-inert, limiting direct interaction with biological systems. Polysaccharide functionalization improves wettability, antimicrobial activity, and biocompatibility.^[64-70]

Polyester fibers, commonly used in sutures, vascular grafts, and prosthetic fabrics, benefit from chitosan coatings applied to plasma-activated surfaces, thereby enhancing hydrophilicity and reducing bacterial adhesion.^[71,72] Multilayer PET grafted with chitosan-hyaluronic acid composites significantly reduces S. aureus colonization, demonstrating the potential of polysaccharide coatings in preventing post-surgical infections.^[72] Nylon fibers, particularly Nylon-6 sutures and meshes, functionalized with chitosan-silver nanocomposite coatings, provide durable antibacterial properties while maintaining mechanical integrity, making them suitable for long-term implantation.^[73] Polypropylene, widely used in medical gowns, masks, and absorbent pads, can be modified with alginate/chitosan multilayers to improve wettability and incorporate bioactive agents.^[74,75] Polyurethane foams and membranes, used in wound dressings and flexible support bandages, have been functionalized with chitosan-gelatin or carrageenan coatings, enhancing moisture management, antimicrobial activity, and drug-loading capacity.^[76,77] Electrospun PU/carrageenan membranes further improve oxygen permeability and biocompatibility, demonstrating their suitability for advanced wound-care applications.^[78] These studies collectively show that polysaccharide functionalization transforms inert synthetic fibers into bioactive, cell-interactive textiles suitable for wound healing, infection control, and tissue regeneration.

Regenerated and advanced fibers

While regenerated cellulose fibers share the same chemical backbone as natural cellulose, their controlled processing and higher purity result in distinct surface reactivity and functionalization behavior. Regenerated and advanced fibers, including viscose, lyocell, chitosan-based fibers, and electrospun nanofibers, offer high surface area, ECM-mimicking morphology, and customizable surface chemistry, making them ideal for tissue engineering, active wound care, and controlled drug delivery.

Regenerated cellulose fibers, such as viscose and lyocell, combine the advantages of natural cellulose with enhanced purity and uniformity, allowing grafting of polysaccharides and bioactive molecules. Lyocell fibers functionalized with chitosan derivatives and nanoparticles exhibit improved hydrophilicity, mechanical strength, and antibacterial activity, making them suitable for surgical dressings.^[79] Alginate-coated viscose fibers form hydrogels that maintain a moist environment and facilitate autolytic debridement.^[80] Additionally, β-cyclodextrin-functionalized viscose/polyester dressings demonstrate controlled drug-loading potential, highlighting regenerated cellulose as a versatile platform for therapeutic textiles.^[63]

Chitosan-based fibers, composed entirely or partially of chitosan, are inherently bioactive, providing antimicrobial, hemostatic, and regenerative properties.^[81] Chitosan sutures accelerate wound healing and reduce infection risk, while chitosan-silk blends improve mechanical properties and cell adhesion, supporting tissue-engineering applications.^[82] Electrospun nanofibers, with diameters ranging from 50 to 500 nm, mimic the extracellular matrix and provide a high surface area for functionalization. Alginate/PEO electrospun fibers loaded with antibiotics enable controlled drug release and antibacterial efficacy, while chitosan/gelatin fibers promote fibroblast proliferation and accelerate wound closure. Carrageenan-based electrospun fibers enhance moisture retention and antioxidant activity.^[83] Electrospun cellulose nanofibers incorporating propolis demonstrated excellent in vitro antimicrobial performance and promising in vivo wound-healing outcomes.^[62] Advanced hybrid fibers, such as bacterial cellulose/alginate composites, accelerate healing in full-thickness wound models, whereas conductive polysaccharide-coated fibers support electrically stimulated wound healing and biosensing. Stimuli-responsive polysaccharide hydrogels on nanofibers enable pH-triggered drug release in infected wounds.^[84] Collectively, these regenerated and advanced fibers provide highly customizable, bioactive platforms for next-generation wound dressings, tissue-engineering scaffolds, and smart therapeutic textiles.

From a comparative perspective, natural fibers such as cotton offer excellent biocompatibility and moisture management but suffer from limited durability under repeated sterilization. Regenerated cellulose fibers combine high purity and reproducibility with improved functionalization efficiency, whereas synthetic fibers provide superior mechanical stability but require surface activation to achieve bioactivity. Polysaccharide functionalization partially mitigates these limitations by enhancing biofunctionality while preserving the intrinsic properties of each fiber class.

POLYSACCHARIDE BIOPOLYMERS IN TEXTILE FUNCTIONALIZATION

Polysaccharide biopolymers are naturally occurring macromolecules composed of repeating monosaccharide units, which provide a variety of functional groups such as hydroxyl (–OH), carboxyl (–COOH), amino (–NH₂), and sulfate (–SO₃H) moieties [Figure 1]. These chemical functionalities enable interactions with textile substrates through covalent grafting, ionic interactions, hydrogen bonding, or physical coating, thereby rendering the fibers bioactive and multifunctional. Their structural versatility, biocompatibility, biodegradability, and intrinsic biological activity make polysaccharides highly attractive for textile functionalization in biomedical applications.^[85,86] The most commonly used polysaccharides, including chitosan, alginate, carrageenan, pectin, cellulose derivatives, and other marine or plant polysaccharides, are discussed below, highlighting their specific roles in enhancing textile performance, as summarized in Table 1. Molecular weight and degree of substitution significantly influence polysaccharide solubility, swelling behavior, mechanical reinforcement, and biological activity. Higher molecular weights generally enhance film-forming ability, whereas excessive substitution may reduce biocompatibility or hinder controlled release.

Chemical structures and functional groups of polysaccharide biopolymers relevant to biomedical textile functionalization.

Chitosan

Chitosan, a cationic polymer derived from the deacetylation of chitin, has been extensively applied in biomedical textiles due to its remarkable antibacterial, antifungal, and hemostatic properties.^[86] Its positive charge facilitates electrostatic interaction with the negatively charged bacterial cell membranes, resulting in significant antimicrobial activity. In addition to its biological effects, chitosan exhibits excellent film-forming capability, good mechanical integrity, and the ability to promote wound healing by stimulating fibroblast proliferation and collagen deposition. Several studies have demonstrated its utility in textile functionalization; for instance, chitosan-coated cotton and cellulose fibers exhibit prolonged antibacterial efficacy, even after multiple wash cycles, while chitosan/silver nanocomposites applied to polyester and nylon fibers significantly reduce colonization by Staphylococcus aureus and Escherichia coli.^[87] Furthermore, chitosan functionalization has been combined with plant-derived polysaccharides, such as Suaeda fruticosa, to create hybrid coatings that enhance swelling, antimicrobial activity, and hemostasis, demonstrating their potential for advanced wound dressings.^[10]

Alginate

Alginate is a naturally occurring anionic linear polysaccharide, composed of alternating blocks of guluronic and mannuronic acids, which can form hydrogels through ionic crosslinking with divalent cations such as calcium. Alginate-based coatings on cotton, cellulose, and electrospun nanofibers have wound-care applications, including high absorbency, gel-forming properties, and the ability to maintain a moist environment conducive to healing. In clinical and experimental studies, alginate dressings accelerate epithelialization, reduce infection risk, and effectively manage exudates in both acute and chronic wounds. El-Ghoul et al. demonstrated that alginate grafted onto cellulosic dressings, alone or in combination with Carthamus tinctorius extracts, produces superabsorbent, bioactive materials with both antibacterial and antioxidant activity.^[24] Additionally, alginate-based electrospun mats loaded with antibiotics or growth factors provide controlled drug release, further enhancing their therapeutic potential.

Carrageenan (κ-, ι-, λ-types)

Carrageenan, a sulfated polysaccharide extracted from red algae, is classified into κ-, ι-, and λ-types based on the degree of sulfation and gelling characteristics. Carrageenan exhibits antiviral activity, gelling capacity, moisture retention, and bioadhesive properties, making it particularly suitable for textile functionalization in wound dressings and controlled-release applications.^[87] Carrageenan coatings on cotton, cellulose, and hybrid fibers improve swelling, antimicrobial performance, and comfort, while also serving as a matrix for loading bioactive molecules. For instance, carrageenan hydrogels incorporated into cotton-cellulose hybrid dressings enhance fluid absorption and skin compliance, improving patient comfort and wound-healing outcomes. Additionally, carrageenan-based electrospun fibers mimic the extracellular matrix, supporting cell attachment and proliferation in tissue-engineering scaffolds.^[62]

Pectin

Pectin, a plant-derived polysaccharide, is characterized by a high content of galacturonic acid residues, providing strong gelling and bioadhesive properties. Pectin-coated textiles exhibit non-toxicity, antioxidant activity, and biocompatibility, making them attractive for wound-healing applications.^[88] Studies have demonstrated that pectin-functionalized cotton and cellulose fibers improve fibroblast adhesion, accelerate keratinocyte proliferation, and maintain a moist microenvironment, which is essential for tissue regeneration. In combination with other biopolymers, such as chitosan or alginate, pectin enhances the mechanical stability and bioactivity of textile dressings while also facilitating the incorporation and sustained release of antimicrobial agents or therapeutic molecules.^[89,90]

Cellulose derivatives (CMC, HEC, HPC)

Cellulose derivatives, including carboxymethyl cellulose (CMC), hydroxyethyl cellulose (HEC), and hydroxypropyl cellulose (HPC), exhibit excellent film-forming properties, hydrophilicity, and swelling behavior.^[91,92] When applied to textiles, these derivatives increase water retention, enhance biocompatibility, and allow the incorporation of drugs, antimicrobial agents, or growth factors. For example, researchers use CMC coatings on cotton or electrospun fibers to create hydrogel-like wound dressings that absorb exudates and release bioactive compounds over time. HEC and HPC derivatives have also been used to improve textile softness, flexibility, and moisture management, making them suitable for dressings, bandages, and tissue-engineering scaffolds.

Other marine and plant polysaccharides

Beyond the commonly used polysaccharides, other marine- and plant-derived biopolymers, including fucoidan, laminarin, starch, dextran, agar, and arabinogalactan, have been explored for textile functionalization. Each of these polysaccharides possesses unique biological activities; for instance, fucoidan exhibits anti-inflammatory and anticoagulant properties, laminarin demonstrates immunomodulatory and antioxidant effects, and dextran serves as a hydrophilic matrix for drug delivery. Agar and arabinogalactan have been used to enhance film-forming ability, moisture retention, and biocompatibility on cotton, cellulose, and electrospun fibers. These polysaccharides provide a versatile toolkit for designing multifunctional biomedical textiles that combine wound-healing, antimicrobial, and drug-delivery capabilities.^[93,94]

Table 1: Polysaccharide biopolymers for textile functionalization in biomedical applications.

Polysaccharide	Functionalization method	Textile type	Biomedical application	Key references
Chitosan	Coating, pad-dry-cure, electrostatic grafting, nanocomposite	Cotton, cellulose, PET, Nylon	Antibacterial wound dressing, hemostasis, and enhanced fibroblast proliferation	[10,94,95]
Alginate	Ionic crosslinking, hydrogel formation	Cotton, cellulose, electrospun nanofibers	Exudate management, chronic wound dressing, controlled drug release	[96,97]
Carrageenan (κ-, ι-, λ-)	Hydrogel coating, electrospinning	Cotton–cellulose hybrids, electrospun fibers	Moisture retention, antiviral activity, and ECM-mimicking wound dressing	[98,99]
Pectin	Coating, hydrogel formation, blend with chitosan or alginate	Cotton, cellulose	Bioadhesive wound dressing, antioxidant effect, drug delivery	[100,101]
CMC	Coating, hydrogel, film formation	Cotton, electrospun fibers	Exudate absorption, sustained drug release, tissue engineering	[102]
HEC	Coating, film-forming	Cotton, cellulose, dressings	Moisture management, wound dressing, and improved flexibility	[103]
HPC	Coating, hydrogel	Cotton, cellulose	Soft dressings, tissue scaffolds, and hydrophilic drug carriers	[104]
Fucoidan	Grafting, coating	Cotton, cellulose, electrospun fibers	Anti-inflammatory, anticoagulant wound dressing	[105]
Laminarin	Coating, hydrogel	Cotton, cellulose	Immunomodulatory wound healing, antioxidant dressings	[106]
Dextran	Coating, hydrogel	Cotton, electrospun fibers	Hydrophilic drug carrier, wound healing, tissue scaffolds	[107]
Agar	Coating, hydrogel	Cotton, cellulose	Moisture retention, film formation, bioactive dressing	[108]
Arabinogalactan	Coating, hydrogel	Cotton, cellulose	Bioadhesion, wound dressing, controlled release	[109]
Chitosan–plant polysaccharide hybrids	Grafting, composite coating	Cellulose, cotton	Enhanced antibacterial, swelling, and hemostatic properties	[110]

STRATEGIES FOR FUNCTIONALIZING TEXTILES USING POLYSACCHARIDES

Building on the fiber characteristics discussed earlier and the polysaccharide properties outlined above, the following section summarizes the main textile functionalization strategies. Polysaccharides can be applied to textile substrates using a variety of functionalization strategies, each offering distinct advantages in terms of bioactivity, mechanical stability, and process scalability. These strategies include physical coating, chemical grafting, nanotechnology-assisted functionalization, and hydrogel-based approaches, which are increasingly employed to develop advanced biomedical textiles.^[111-113]

Physical coating and impregnation represent the simplest and most widely used approaches for polysaccharide functionalization. Techniques such as dip-coating, pad-dry-cure, and layer-by-layer assembly allow the uniform deposition of polysaccharides onto fiber surfaces, forming a bioactive layer that can impart antibacterial, hemostatic, and wound-healing properties. For example, cotton and cellulose fibers coated with chitosan via pad–dry–cure show significant antibacterial efficacy against both Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria, even after repeated washing cycles. Similarly, alginate and carrageenan coatings applied through dip-coating or layer-by-layer methods create hydrogel-like layers that enhance moisture retention and provide a supportive microenvironment for cell attachment and proliferation. Although these methods are simple, cost-effective, and suitable for large-scale production, the adhesion of the polysaccharide layer can be relatively weak, potentially limiting long-term durability under mechanical stress or repeated laundering.

Chemical functionalization offers a more robust and durable approach by covalently attaching polysaccharides to the textile surface. Covalent grafting can be achieved via radical polymerization. At the same time, crosslinking agents such as citric acid, polyacrylic acid, genipin, or carbodiimides can form stable bonds between polysaccharide molecules and fiber surfaces.^[114-119] Plasma or corona activation of synthetic or regenerated fibers followed by polysaccharide grafting further enhances surface reactivity and allows uniform coating of otherwise inert materials. These chemical strategies not only improve the mechanical stability of the bioactive layer but also prolong the antimicrobial and therapeutic functionality of the textile. For instance, chitosan grafted onto PET and Nylon fibers exhibits sustained antibacterial activity, while alginate chemically crosslinked on cellulose dressings maintains hydrogel integrity during prolonged wound treatment.^[119,120] Physically adsorbed polysaccharide coatings often exhibit reduced durability under repeated washing or sterilization cycles due to weak interfacial interactions. In contrast, chemically grafted systems demonstrate superior wash resistance and long-term stability, although they require more complex processing. Hybrid strategies combining physical deposition with mild crosslinking have emerged as promising approaches to balance durability and process simplicity.

Nanotechnology-assisted functionalization is an emerging strategy in biomedical textile design, in which polysaccharides serve as stabilizers, reducing agents, or encapsulating matrices for nanoparticles. Silver nanoparticles (AgNPs), zinc oxide nanoparticles (ZnO), and copper oxide nanoparticles (CuO) have been widely incorporated into polysaccharide-coated textiles to enhance antimicrobial, antioxidant, and wound-healing properties. For example, chitosan-AgNP composites applied to cotton and cellulose fibers show rapid bacterial killing, reduced biofilm formation, and improved in vitro cytocompatibility.^[121,122] Similarly, alginate and carrageenan matrices loaded with ZnO nanoparticles provide sustained antimicrobial activity and accelerated fibroblast migration in wound models.^[123-126] Nanotechnology-assisted functionalization thus combines the intrinsic bioactivity of polysaccharides with the unique physicochemical properties of nanoparticles, resulting in multifunctional and high-performance textiles.

Hydrogel coatings and 3D printing represent a particularly versatile approach for creating polysaccharide-functionalized textiles with highly tunable architectures.^[126,127] Polysaccharide hydrogels, such as those based on chitosan, alginate, carrageenan, or pectin, can be printed or formed directly on textile surfaces to produce flexible, moist, and bioactive environments conducive to tissue regeneration [Figure 2]. These hydrogel-based textiles are especially beneficial for chronic wounds, burn dressings, and tissue-engineering scaffolds, as they provide a hydrated environment, support cell proliferation, and serve as drug-delivery reservoirs. Recent studies have demonstrated that 3D-printed chitosan/alginate hydrogels applied to cotton or cellulose fabrics not only enhance mechanical compliance and moisture retention but also enable precise incorporation of antimicrobial or regenerative agents, underscoring the potential of this approach for next-generation biomedical textiles.^[128]

Polysaccharide modification approaches enabling bioink printability and functional performance in 3D bioprinting for tissue engineering.

Collectively, these strategies, ranging from simple physical coatings to advanced nanotechnology-assisted and hydrogel-based functionalization, offer a flexible toolbox for tailoring textile surfaces with polysaccharides, enabling the design of bioactive, antimicrobial, and regenerative textiles for a wide range of clinical applications.

From an industrial perspective, scalable techniques such as pad–dry–cure processing, dip-coating, layer-by-layer assembly, and plasma-assisted surface activation are the most compatible with existing textile manufacturing lines. In contrast, laboratory-scale methods involving multi-step grafting reactions or solvent-intensive processes may face limitations in cost, throughput, and environmental impact.

FUNCTIONAL PROPERTIES ACHIEVED THROUGH POLYSACCHARIDE FUNCTIONALIZATION

Polysaccharide functionalization imparts a wide range of bioactive and physicochemical properties to textile materials, enhancing their suitability for biomedical applications. These functional properties include antimicrobial activity, promotion of wound healing, mechanical and physical improvements, and controlled drug delivery. Each of these functionalities contributes to the overall performance of textile-based medical devices and dressings, as detailed below.

Antimicrobial activity

One of the most widely reported advantages of polysaccharide-functionalized textiles is their antimicrobial activity. Chitosan, a cationic polysaccharide derived from chitin, exhibits strong antibacterial and antifungal effects by interacting with negatively charged microbial membranes, thereby increasing membrane permeability and causing cell death. Studies have shown that cotton and cellulose fibers coated with chitosan significantly reduce the growth of Staphylococcus aureus, Escherichia coli, and Pseudomonas aeruginosa even after repeated laundering cycles.^[129] In addition, polysaccharide coatings can act as stabilizers or carriers for metallic nanoparticles such as silver, zinc oxide, or copper oxide. These metals are gradually released from the polysaccharide matrix, providing long-lasting antimicrobial effects while minimizing cytotoxicity. Sulfated polysaccharides, including carrageenan and fucoidan, exhibit antiviral activity by inhibiting viral adhesion to host cells, making them promising for functionalizing surgical textiles, protective gowns, and wound dressings. Collectively, these strategies demonstrate how polysaccharide-based functionalization can transform textiles into active barriers against microbial and viral infections.

Wound healing and bioactivity

Polysaccharides contribute significantly to wound-healing performance through multiple mechanisms. Hydrophilic polysaccharides, such as alginate, carrageenan, and pectin, form hydrogels on textile surfaces that maintain a moist microenvironment, which is critical for accelerating tissue regeneration and preventing desiccation of the wound bed. In addition, polysaccharides can stimulate fibroblast proliferation and collagen synthesis, enhancing the structural integrity of newly formed tissue. For example, cellulosic dressings grafted with chitosan or Aloe vera polysaccharides demonstrated accelerated re-epithelialization, reduced bacterial infection, and enhanced cell adhesion in in vitro and in vivo wound models.^[60,61] Polysaccharides also exert antioxidant effects that mitigate excessive oxidative stress and inflammation, which are major barriers to chronic wound healing. By combining moisture retention, bioactivity, and antioxidant function, polysaccharide-functionalized textiles provide an integrated approach to promoting rapid and effective wound repair.

Mechanical and physical enhancements

Beyond their bioactive properties, polysaccharides can significantly improve the mechanical and physical characteristics of textile fibers. Hydrophilic polysaccharides increase the wettability of naturally hydrophobic fibers, enhancing moisture absorption and fluid management in wound dressings. In addition, coating with polysaccharides, such as hydroxypropyl cellulose or carboxymethyl cellulose, improves fabric softness, flexibility, and tactile comfort, which are important for patient compliance and comfort during prolonged wear. In some cases, polysaccharide functionalization also enhances tensile strength and structural integrity, particularly when combined with chemical crosslinking or nanocomposite formation. For instance, electrospun cellulose nanofibers coated with chitosan or carrageenan show improved mechanical resilience while maintaining porosity and flexibility, providing dressings that are both durable and supportive of tissue regeneration.^[62,130] These combined mechanical and physical improvements complement the biological activity of polysaccharides, making functionalized textiles suitable for advanced wound care and surgical applications.

Drug delivery

Polysaccharide-functionalized textiles provide an excellent platform for controlled delivery of therapeutic agents, including antibiotics, growth factors, herbal extracts, and anti-inflammatory drugs.^[131,132] Their hydrophilic and gel-forming properties allow sustained release of bioactive molecules while maintaining a moist wound environment. For example, alginate- or chitosan-coated cotton and electrospun fibers have been used to deliver antibiotics such as tetracycline or gentamicin, providing prolonged antimicrobial protection at the wound site. Similarly, textiles functionalized with β-cyclodextrin or polysaccharide-based hydrogels enable loading of growth factors or herbal extracts, which can be released in a stimuli-responsive manner to accelerate tissue regeneration and reduce inflammation.^[63] This dual functionality, combining barrier protection with localized therapeutic delivery, underscores the versatility of polysaccharide-functionalized textiles in the design of smart, bioactive medical devices for wound care and regenerative medicine.

BIOMEDICAL APPLICATIONS

Polysaccharide-functionalized textiles have been extensively explored for a variety of biomedical applications, ranging from wound care to advanced tissue-engineering scaffolds and smart wearable devices. By combining the intrinsic bioactivity of polysaccharides with the structural and mechanical properties of textile fibers, these functionalized materials provide multifunctional solutions for clinical and therapeutic applications. Despite promising results, some studies report limited long-term stability, reduced mechanical strength after repeated washing, or diminished bioactivity due to polysaccharide leaching, underscoring the need for optimized functionalization strategies. Polysaccharide-functionalized wound dressings, antimicrobial surgical gowns, and hemostatic textiles represent the most clinically advanced applications, with several products already commercialized or undergoing regulatory evaluation. Key challenges include compliance with ISO biocompatibility standards, sterilization validation, and long-term safety assessment required by the FDA and CE frameworks.

Wound dressings

Polysaccharide-functionalized textile biomaterials have emerged as highly effective platforms for advanced wound dressing applications due to their intrinsic biocompatibility, hydrophilicity, biodegradability, and bioactivity [Figure 3]. These materials are particularly well-suited to maintaining a moist wound environment, providing antimicrobial protection, and actively supporting tissue regeneration, which are key requirements for efficient wound healing.

Polysaccharide-based functionalization strategies for textile biomaterials and their transformation into multifunctional biomedical wound dressing platforms.

Hydrophilic polysaccharides such as alginate, chitosan, carrageenan, pectin, hyaluronic acid, and cellulose derivatives are widely employed as surface coatings or grafted layers on cotton, regenerated cellulose, nonwoven fabrics, and electrospun fibrous mats.^[133-135] Upon contact with wound exudate, these polysaccharides can form hydrogel-like networks capable of absorbing excess fluids while preserving optimal moisture levels at the wound interface. This controlled hydration has been shown to accelerate epithelialization, reduce inflammation, and minimize scar formation.

Recent studies have expanded beyond simple moisture management toward bioactive wound dressings. Chitosan-functionalized textiles, for example, exhibit inherent antibacterial activity and have been reported to enhance fibroblast proliferation, collagen synthesis, and angiogenesis, thereby accelerating wound closure. Similarly, pectin- and alginate-coated textiles have demonstrated improved cell adhesion and migration, making them attractive for chronic and burn wound care. Polysaccharides derived from natural sources, such as Aloe vera, marine algae, and plant gums, are increasingly incorporated to impart additional anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties.^[136-138]

To further improve infection control, polysaccharides are frequently used as stabilizing and binding matrices for antimicrobial agents, particularly silver nanoparticles, zinc oxide, or copper-based systems. Polysaccharide-stabilized metal nanoparticles enable sustained antimicrobial activity while reducing cytotoxicity, an important consideration for long-term wound contact. Recent textile-based dressings combining chitosan or alginate with silver nanoparticles have demonstrated broad-spectrum antibacterial efficacy against both Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria, including drug-resistant strains.^[139,140]

Beyond antimicrobial protection, contemporary wound dressings increasingly function as multifunctional therapeutic platforms. Alginate- and carrageenan-based textile hydrogels have been reported as carriers for growth factors, herbal extracts, essential oils, and anti-inflammatory drugs, enabling controlled and stimuli-responsive release.^[141,142] Electrospun polysaccharide-blended nanofibrous textiles, in particular, have gained attention for mimicking the extracellular matrix, thereby promoting cell attachment and tissue regeneration.

Overall, recent advances highlight a shift from passive wound coverings toward smart, bioactive polysaccharide-functionalized textile dressings capable of simultaneously managing exudate, preventing infection, delivering therapeutics, and actively guiding the wound healing process. These developments position polysaccharide-based textile biomaterials as key components in next-generation wound care solutions.

Surgical textiles

Surgical textiles, including gowns, drapes, sutures, surgical meshes, and implantable fabrics, represent a critical interface between medical personnel, patients, and the clinical environment. Polysaccharide-based functionalization strategies have attracted increasing attention in this field due to their ability to impart antimicrobial activity, enhanced barrier performance, biocompatibility, and controlled therapeutic delivery without compromising the mechanical integrity or comfort of textile substrates.^[142-144]

Among the polysaccharides investigated, chitosan, alginate, carrageenan, and other sulfated polysaccharides are particularly effective at reducing postoperative infection risk due to their intrinsic antibacterial and antifungal properties. Chitosan-functionalized surgical textiles have been shown to disrupt microbial cell membranes and inhibit biofilm formation, a major concern for both reusable gowns and implantable materials. Recent studies report that chitosan-coated polyester, polypropylene, and nylon fabrics exhibit sustained antimicrobial performance against Staphylococcus aureus and Escherichia coli, even after multiple sterilization and laundering cycles, supporting their suitability for reusable surgical applications.

Functionalized suture materials represent another rapidly advancing area. Polysaccharide coatings on absorbable and non-absorbable sutures enable the localized delivery of antimicrobial agents, metal ions (e.g., Ag⁺, Zn²⁺), or anti-inflammatory drugs, thereby minimizing surgical site infections while maintaining tensile strength and knot security.^[145,146] More recent approaches have explored layer-by-layer polysaccharide assemblies and crosslinked hydrogel coatings to achieve sustained release profiles and prolonged antimicrobial efficacy at the wound interface.

In addition to infection control, polysaccharide coatings enhance the barrier and comfort properties of surgical gowns and drapes. Hydrophilic polysaccharide layers can be engineered to improve fluid repellency and blood resistance through controlled crosslinking, while simultaneously preserving air permeability and wearer comfort. This balance is particularly important in long-duration surgical procedures, where thermal stress and moisture accumulation can affect clinician performance.

Emerging research also highlights the role of polysaccharide-functionalized surgical textiles in implantable meshes and scaffolds, where surface modification with alginate, chitosan, or hyaluronic acid improves tissue integration, reduces inflammatory responses, and limits bacterial adhesion. These properties are especially relevant for hernia meshes and soft-tissue implants, where infection and poor biocompatibility remain major clinical challenges.^[147,148]

Overall, recent developments demonstrate a clear transition from passive surgical textiles toward multifunctional, bioactive polysaccharide-functionalized systems that combine antimicrobial protection, mechanical reliability, user comfort, and therapeutic functionality. Such advances contribute to safer surgical environments, reduced healthcare-associated infections, and improved patient outcomes.

Tissue engineering

Polysaccharide-functionalized textile biomaterials, particularly electrospun nanofibrous mats and three-dimensional scaffolds, have become central to the development of advanced tissue-engineering platforms. These materials are extensively explored for the regeneration of skin, bone, cartilage, vascular, and soft tissues, owing to their high surface-area-to-volume ratio, tunable porosity, and architectural similarity to the native extracellular matrix (ECM).

Electrospun fibers composed of cellulose, polyesters, or biodegradable polymers and subsequently functionalized with chitosan, alginate, carrageenan, pectin, or hyaluronic acid provide both mechanical support and bioactive interfaces that promote cell adhesion, proliferation, and differentiation. Polysaccharide coatings introduce functional groups that can interact with cell membrane receptors, thereby guiding cellular behavior and tissue organization. In skin tissue engineering, for instance, chitosan- and carrageenan-modified nanofibrous scaffolds have been shown to enhance fibroblast and keratinocyte attachment, accelerate re-epithelialization, and support dermal matrix formation.

For hard tissue applications, alginate- and chitosan-based composite scaffolds combined with inorganic phases such as hydroxyapatite or bioactive glass have demonstrated improved osteoconductivity and mineralization, thereby enhancing bone tissue formation. Similarly, polysaccharide-functionalized scaffolds for cartilage regeneration benefit from the high water-retention capacity and viscoelastic properties of hydrogels, which mimic the native cartilage microenvironment and support chondrocyte viability.

Recent advances emphasize the incorporation of bioactive cues within polysaccharide matrices, including growth factors, peptides, antimicrobial agents, and signaling molecules. These multifunctional scaffolds enable controlled, localized delivery, thereby improving angiogenesis, reducing infection risk, and accelerating tissue remodeling. In vascular tissue engineering, for example, polysaccharide-modified fibrous scaffolds have been reported to promote endothelial cell adhesion and alignment, facilitating the formation of functional vascular networks.

Moreover, hybrid scaffolds integrating polysaccharides with textile-based reinforcement structures have shown improved mechanical stability and interfacial bonding with host tissues. Such designs are particularly advantageous in load-bearing or dynamic environments, where mechanical mismatches often limit clinical translation. Emerging strategies, including 3D bioprinting of polysaccharide-based bioinks and multilayer textile scaffolds, further expand the versatility of polysaccharide-functionalized materials in regenerative medicine.^[149,150]

Overall, recent studies highlight polysaccharide-functionalized textile scaffolds as highly adaptable and biologically active platforms that support complex tissue regeneration. Their tunable chemistry, structural flexibility, and compatibility with advanced fabrication techniques position them as key components in next-generation tissue engineering and regenerative therapies.

Smart biosensing and wearable devices

Beyond conventional biomedical applications, polysaccharide-functionalized textiles are increasingly being integrated into smart wearable devices and biosensing platforms. Polysaccharide hydrogels can incorporate conductive nanoparticles, ionic liquids, or biosensors, allowing the textile to monitor hydration, pH, or biochemical signals in real time while maintaining biocompatibility.^[151,152] For instance, chitosan- and carrageenan-based hydrogel coatings on electrospun fibers or fabrics have been used to create flexible biosensors that detect sweat electrolytes or tissue oxygenation, providing continuous monitoring in wound care or sports medicine. These smart textiles not only offer diagnostic capabilities but also maintain the protective, antimicrobial, and moisturizing functions of conventional wound dressings. The combination of sensing, bioactivity, and mechanical compliance positions polysaccharide-functionalized textiles at the forefront of wearable medical technology. Among the reviewed systems, polysaccharide-functionalized wound dressings, antimicrobial surgical gowns, and hemostatic textiles represent the most clinically mature applications, with several products already approved or undergoing advanced clinical evaluation.

CHARACTERIZATION TECHNIQUES

Comprehensive characterization of polysaccharide-functionalized textiles is essential to confirm successful modification, understand the resulting physicochemical changes, and correlate these changes with biological performance. Various analytical techniques are employed to evaluate chemical composition, structural and morphological features, mechanical properties, and biological activity, ensuring that the functionalized textiles meet both performance and safety requirements. A minimal recommended characterization sequence includes chemical confirmation by FT-IR and XPS, surface morphology analysis by SEM, wettability and swelling assessment, mechanical integrity testing, and biological evaluation, including cytocompatibility and antimicrobial assays.

Chemical characterization

Chemical characterization techniques, such as Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), and Raman spectroscopy, are commonly used to confirm the presence and integrity of polysaccharide coatings, grafts, or crosslinks on textile fibers. FTIR and Raman spectroscopy provide information on characteristic functional groups, such as amino, hydroxyl, carboxyl, or sulfate groups, allowing the identification of chemical bonds formed during grafting or crosslinking. NMR provides detailed insight into the molecular structure of polysaccharides and their interactions with fiber surfaces. At the same time, XPS enables surface-specific elemental analysis to confirm the incorporation of polysaccharides or metal ions. These techniques not only verify successful functionalization but also allow researchers to optimize coating or grafting conditions. Importantly, chemical characterization is directly related to biological performance: the presence of active functional groups, confirmed through these methods, often correlates with enhanced antimicrobial activity, improved cell adhesion, and increased bioactivity in wound-healing or tissue-engineering applications.

Structural and morphological characterization

Structural and morphological characterization provides critical information on the surface topography, porosity, fiber arrangement, and nanoscale features of functionalized textiles. Techniques such as scanning electron microscopy (SEM), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), and atomic force microscopy (AFM) are widely employed. SEM allows visualization of surface coatings, fiber morphology, and homogeneity of the polysaccharide layer, while TEM provides high-resolution imaging of embedded nanoparticles, nanofibers, or multilayer coatings. AFM offers quantitative data on surface roughness, stiffness, and nanoscale topology. These features are particularly important because surface morphology and porosity strongly influence biological interactions, such as cell attachment, proliferation, and tissue integration. For example, a rough or porous surface created by electrospun nanofibers coated with chitosan or alginate can enhance fibroblast adhesion and promote extracellular matrix formation, improving the healing efficiency of wound dressings or scaffolds.

Mechanical and physical tests

Mechanical and physical testing is crucial to ensure that functionalized textiles maintain structural integrity, flexibility, and performance under clinical conditions. Researchers typically evaluate parameters such as tensile strength, elongation, air permeability, water retention, and swelling behavior. Polysaccharide coatings can increase hydrophilicity and water absorption while preserving or improving mechanical properties. For instance, crosslinked alginate or chitosan coatings may enhance tensile strength and elasticity, enabling the textile to withstand handling, stretching, or repeated use without compromising bioactivity. Physical properties such as water retention and air permeability are also closely linked to biological performance: hydrophilic coatings support a moist wound-healing environment, while adequate breathability prevents maceration and promotes patient comfort. Overall, mechanical and physical tests provide critical insight into the usability and durability of functionalized textiles in real-world biomedical applications.

Biological tests

Biological evaluation is essential to verify the safety and efficacy of polysaccharide-functionalized textiles. Antimicrobial assays, including disk diffusion, colony-count reduction, and biofilm inhibition tests, are conducted to assess activity against bacteria, fungi, and, in some cases, viruses. Cytotoxicity assays, such as MTT or Live/Dead staining, confirm that the functionalized textiles are biocompatible and do not harm mammalian cells. At the same time, hemolysis tests evaluate blood compatibility for materials intended for wound contact or implantable devices. In vivo studies, including wound-healing models in animals, provide direct evidence of the therapeutic potential of functionalized textiles, demonstrating accelerated epithelialization, reduced infection, and improved tissue regeneration,^[153-155] By correlating these biological outcomes with chemical, structural, and mechanical characterization, researchers can establish a direct link between polysaccharide functionalization, improved material properties, and enhanced biological performance. For example, a chitosan-AgNP coating, confirmed by FTIR, SEM, and tensile testing, often correlates with robust antibacterial activity, cytocompatibility, and accelerated wound closure in vivo.

CHALLENGES, LIMITATIONS, AND FUTURE PERSPECTIVES

Polysaccharide-based functionalization of textile biomaterials offers tremendous potential for enhancing biological performance, including antimicrobial activity, wound healing, tissue regeneration, and controlled drug delivery. However, one must consider that translating these laboratory strategies into clinically effective textiles poses several challenges.

Limitations of functionalization techniques

Different functionalization strategies, physical coating, chemical grafting, nanotechnology-assisted functionalization, and hydrogel/3D printing, each have distinct advantages and limitations. Physical coating and impregnation methods, such as dip-coating, pad-dry-cure, or layer-by-layer assembly, are simple, scalable, and cost-effective. They allow rapid deposition of polysaccharides while preserving bioactivity, providing immediate antimicrobial and wound-healing effects. However, these techniques often result in weak adhesion of the polysaccharide layer, which may reduce durability under repeated laundering, mechanical stress, or prolonged exposure to body fluids. Consequently, although these materials can achieve biological properties such as fibroblast proliferation, antimicrobial efficacy, and moisture retention, these effects may not persist over time.

Chemical functionalization via covalent grafting or crosslinking with agents such as citric acid, genipin, or carbodiimides offers a more robust solution. Covalent attachment stabilizes the polysaccharide on the fiber surface, enhancing durability and ensuring long-term bioactive performance. For example, chitosan-grafted polyester or cellulose dressings maintain antimicrobial activity even after repeated washing, while alginate crosslinked onto cotton fibers preserves hydrogel integrity for extended wound treatment. In addition, chemical functionalization can improve mechanical properties such as tensile strength and flexibility, which are crucial for maintaining textile integrity during clinical use. Thus, chemical grafting not only improves physical and mechanical performance but also ensures sustained biological activity, creating a more reliable platform for wound healing, drug delivery, and tissue engineering.

Nanotechnology-assisted functionalization further enhances the bioactivity of polysaccharide-functionalized textiles. By stabilizing or encapsulating nanoparticles, such as silver, zinc oxide, or copper oxide, within polysaccharide matrices, textiles acquire multifunctional properties beyond those of the polysaccharides alone. The controlled release of antimicrobial ions or bioactive molecules from these hybrid coatings provides prolonged protection against infection and supports tissue regeneration. Additionally, the combination of polysaccharides and nanoparticles can enhance antioxidant activity, hemostasis, and cell proliferation, thereby offering a synergistic effect particularly valuable in wound care applications. This approach illustrates how functionalization techniques can directly translate into measurable biological outcomes, such as reduced bacterial colonization, accelerated fibroblast migration, and improved healing rates.

Hydrogel-based and 3D printing strategies offer an additional level of functionality, enabling the creation of highly customizable textile architectures.^[156,157] Polysaccharide hydrogels can form flexible, moist, and bioactive layers on textiles, which serve as reservoirs for therapeutic agents while simultaneously providing an optimal microenvironment for cell proliferation and tissue regeneration. Advanced printing techniques enable precise control over the hydrogel geometry, thickness, and porosity, tailoring the dressing to specific wound types or tissue-engineering applications. These strategies not only improve the mechanical and physical properties of textiles, such as elasticity and moisture retention, but also maximize the biological effectiveness of incorporated polysaccharides and bioactive molecules. The result is a textile platform capable of delivering multifunctional, stimuli-responsive therapy with improved healing outcomes.

The relation between improved properties and biological performance

The effectiveness of polysaccharide-functionalized textiles closely ties the interplay between the chosen functionalization technique and the resulting material properties. Hydrophilicity, porosity, and swelling capacity, for example, are enhanced by hydrogel coatings or layer-by-layer deposition, directly contributing to moisture balance and accelerated wound healing. Antimicrobial activity is enhanced when cationic polysaccharides, such as chitosan, are chemically grafted or combined with metallic nanoparticles, thereby reducing bacterial colonization and biofilm formation. Similarly, mechanical enhancements, such as improved tensile strength or flexibility, ensure the textile withstands handling and wear without compromising its biological functionality. Overall, by carefully selecting and optimizing functionalization strategies, it is possible to achieve a balance among mechanical integrity, durability, and bioactivity, thereby translating into improved clinical outcomes.

Future perspectives

Despite the advances, challenges remain in scaling these techniques for commercial production, ensuring reproducibility, and meeting regulatory standards for medical textiles. Future research should prioritize stimuli-responsive and smart polysaccharide-based textiles, scalable and environmentally benign functionalization strategies, and clinically driven design supported by regulatory and standardization considerations.

CONCLUSION

Polysaccharide-based functionalization of textile biomaterials represents a powerful strategy for developing advanced medical textiles with multifunctional properties. By exploiting the diverse chemical functionalities of polysaccharides, such as hydroxyl, carboxyl, amino, and sulfate groups, researchers can transform fibers into bioactive, biocompatible, and multifunctional platforms suitable for a wide range of biomedical applications. Functionalization strategies, including physical coating, chemical grafting, nanotechnology-assisted modification, and hydrogel-based approaches, allow precise tailoring of textile surfaces, enhancing properties such as antimicrobial activity, hemostasis, wound-healing potential, hydrophilicity, and controlled drug delivery.

The integration of natural, synthetic, and regenerated fibers with polysaccharides has led to significant improvements in both material and biological performance. Natural fibers, such as cotton and cellulose, provide biocompatible, hydrophilic substrates, while synthetic fibers offer mechanical strength and durability, and regenerated fibers enable tunable properties in electrospun scaffolds. Polysaccharide functionalization not only enhances the intrinsic physical and mechanical properties of these textiles, such as tensile strength, flexibility, moisture retention, and porosity, but also directly translates into improved biological outcomes, including accelerated wound closure, reduced microbial colonization, enhanced cell adhesion and proliferation, and effective localized drug delivery. Studies by El-Ghoul and colleagues, along with numerous other investigations, have demonstrated the versatility of chitosan, alginate, carrageenan, pectin, cellulose derivatives, and other plant- or marine-derived polysaccharides in achieving these multifunctional effects.

Characterization techniques, ranging from chemical analyses (FTIR, NMR, XPS) to structural and morphological evaluations (SEM, TEM, AFM), mechanical and physical testing, and biological assays, are essential for correlating functionalization methods with improvements in both material and bioactive performance. These analytical approaches provide critical insights into grafting efficiency, coating uniformity, fiber morphology, and the persistence of bioactive functionality, thereby guiding the optimization of polysaccharide-functionalized textiles for specific clinical applications.

Despite these advances, challenges remain in terms of large-scale manufacturing, reproducibility, long-term stability, and regulatory compliance. Future research should focus on developing multifunctional, stimuli-responsive textiles that integrate polysaccharides with nanoparticles, growth factors, or biosensing systems to deliver smart, adaptive, and patient-tailored biomedical solutions. Sustainability and cost-effectiveness will also play important roles, particularly in sourcing polysaccharides and in designing environmentally friendly production processes.

In conclusion, the strategic functionalization of textile biomaterials with polysaccharides holds immense promise for advancing wound care, surgical textiles, tissue engineering scaffolds, and smart wearable devices. By bridging materials science, biotechnology, and textile engineering, polysaccharide-functionalized textiles have the potential to transform biomedical applications, offering safe, effective, and multifunctional solutions for modern clinical challenges.

Overall, polysaccharide functionalization represents a versatile and sustainable strategy for enhancing the biological performance of biomedical textiles. Future efforts should focus on scalable processing, durability optimization, and clinically driven design to facilitate industrial translation and regulatory approval.

Author’s contribution

SSA: Conceptualization, investigation, data curation, writing - original draft; CA: Methodology, investigation, writing - original draft - review & editing; BH: Investigation, writing - original draft; YG: Conceptualization, methodology, validation, writing - original draft - review & editing, supervision.

Ethical Approval

Institutional Review Board approval is not required.

Declaration of Patient Consent

Patient consent is not required as no patients are involved in the study.

Financial support and sponsorship

Nil.

Conflicts of interest

There are no conflicts of interest.

Use of artificial intelligence (AI)-assisted technology for manuscript preparation

The authors confirm that there was no use of artificial intelligence (AI)-assisted technology for assisting in the writing or editing of the manuscript and no images were manipulated using AI.

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INTRODUCTION

TEXTILE BIOMATERIALS FOR BIOMEDICAL USE

Natural fibers
Synthetic fibers
Regenerated and advanced fibers

POLYSACCHARIDE BIOPOLYMERS IN TEXTILE FUNCTIONALIZATION

Chitosan
Alginate
Carrageenan (κ-, ι-, λ-types)
Pectin
Cellulose derivatives (CMC, HEC, HPC)
Other marine and plant polysaccharides

STRATEGIES FOR FUNCTIONALIZING TEXTILES USING POLYSACCHARIDES

FUNCTIONAL PROPERTIES ACHIEVED THROUGH POLYSACCHARIDE FUNCTIONALIZATION

Antimicrobial activity
Wound healing and bioactivity
Mechanical and physical enhancements
Drug delivery

BIOMEDICAL APPLICATIONS

Wound dressings
Surgical textiles
Tissue engineering
Smart biosensing and wearable devices

CHARACTERIZATION TECHNIQUES

Chemical characterization
Structural and morphological characterization
Mechanical and physical tests
Biological tests

CHALLENGES, LIMITATIONS, AND FUTURE PERSPECTIVES

Limitations of functionalization techniques
The relation between improved properties and biological performance
Future perspectives

CONCLUSION

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Functionalization of Textile Biomaterials by Polysaccharide Biopolymers for Biomedical Applications: Recent Advances and Future Perspectives

Abstract

Keywords

Antioxidant

Antimicrobial fabrics

Bioactive polysaccharides

Biomedical textiles

Medical textile engineering

Textile surface functionalization

Wound dressing materials

INTRODUCTION

TEXTILE BIOMATERIALS FOR BIOMEDICAL USE

Natural fibers

Synthetic fibers

Regenerated and advanced fibers

POLYSACCHARIDE BIOPOLYMERS IN TEXTILE FUNCTIONALIZATION

Chitosan

Alginate

Carrageenan (κ-, ι-, λ-types)

Pectin

Cellulose derivatives (CMC, HEC, HPC)

Other marine and plant polysaccharides

STRATEGIES FOR FUNCTIONALIZING TEXTILES USING POLYSACCHARIDES

FUNCTIONAL PROPERTIES ACHIEVED THROUGH POLYSACCHARIDE FUNCTIONALIZATION

Antimicrobial activity

Wound healing and bioactivity

Mechanical and physical enhancements

Drug delivery

BIOMEDICAL APPLICATIONS

Wound dressings

Surgical textiles

Tissue engineering

Smart biosensing and wearable devices

CHARACTERIZATION TECHNIQUES

Chemical characterization

Structural and morphological characterization

Mechanical and physical tests

Biological tests

CHALLENGES, LIMITATIONS, AND FUTURE PERSPECTIVES

Limitations of functionalization techniques

The relation between improved properties and biological performance

Future perspectives

CONCLUSION

Author’s contribution

Ethical Approval

Declaration of Patient Consent

Financial support and sponsorship

Conflicts of interest

Use of artificial intelligence (AI)-assisted technology for manuscript preparation

References

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