Hermetia illucens-derived chitosan as a promising sustainable biomaterial for wound healing applications: development of sponge-like scaffolds

Micaela Giani; Caterina Valentino; Barbara Vigani; Marco Ruggeri; Anna Guarnieri; Rosanna Salvia; Carmen Scieuzo; Patrizia Falabella; Giuseppina Sandri; Silvia Rossi

doi:10.1016/j.ijbiomac.2025.140903

Hermetia illucens-derived chitosan as a promising sustainable biomaterial for wound healing applications: development of sponge-like scaffolds

Int J Biol Macromol. 2025 Apr;304(Pt 2):140903. doi: 10.1016/j.ijbiomac.2025.140903. Epub 2025 Feb 10.

Affiliations

¹ Department of Drug Sciences, University of Pavia, Viale Taramelli 12, 27100 Pavia, Italy.
² Department of Basic and Applied Sciences, University of Basilicata, Via dell'Ateneo Lucano, 10, 85100 Potenza, Italy.
³ Department of Basic and Applied Sciences, University of Basilicata, Via dell'Ateneo Lucano, 10, 85100 Potenza, Italy; Spin off Xflies s.r.l, University of Basilicata, Via dell'Ateneo Lucano, 10, 85100 Potenza, Italy.
⁴ Department of Drug Sciences, University of Pavia, Viale Taramelli 12, 27100 Pavia, Italy. Electronic address: silvia.rossi@unipv.it.

PMID: 39938837
DOI: 10.1016/j.ijbiomac.2025.140903

Abstract

Chitosan (CS), a biopolymer known for its wound-healing properties, has garnered significant interest in biomedical research. This study explores the potential of two Hermetia illucens-derived CS types-unbleached CS and bleached CS-as novel biomaterials for wound-healing applications, in comparison with commercial CS derived from the shells of Pandalus borealis (cold-water shrimp). CS was extracted from pupal exuviae, a byproduct of insect farming, which supports a circular economy by converting waste into valuable molecules for biomedical applications. Unbleached CS exhibited viscosity and viscoelastic properties comparable to those of commercial CS. The critical entanglement concentration (CEC) of unbleached CS (1.15 ± 0.05 % w/v) was similar to that of commercial CS (1.18 ± 0.09 % w/v). Moreover, both Hermetia illucens-derived CS types (unbleached and bleached) demonstrated a greater capability to enhance fibroblast viability (135 ± 7 % and 123 ± 6 %, respectively) compared to commercial CS (115 ± 7 %). Further investigation revealed that unbleached CS exhibited increased antioxidant activity, reversing >30 % of the loss of viability caused by H₂O₂ treatment, and demonstrated anti-inflammatory properties, decreasing IL-6 levels by 66 ± 2 %. Sponge-like scaffolds based on unbleached CS and commercial CS were prepared via freeze-drying. When comparing structural and functional properties of commercial and unbleached CS scaffolds, the unbleached CS scaffolds exhibited higher porosity (67.9 ± 2.7 %), smaller pore size (216 ± 35 nm), higher swelling ratio (25.4 ± 1.9), greater resistance to degradation, and enhanced fibroblast proliferation. These findings underscore the potential of insect-derived CS as a sustainable and bioactive material for wound healing. However, further research is required to fully understand its interactions and mechanisms in tissue repair.

Keywords: Antioxidant; Chitosan; Circular economy; Freeze-dried scaffolds; Hermetia illucens; Wound healing.

MeSH terms

Animals
Anti-Inflammatory Agents / chemistry
Anti-Inflammatory Agents / pharmacology
Antioxidants / chemistry
Antioxidants / pharmacology
Biocompatible Materials* / chemistry
Biocompatible Materials* / pharmacology
Cell Survival / drug effects
Chitosan* / chemistry
Chitosan* / pharmacology
Fibroblasts / drug effects
Mice
Tissue Scaffolds* / chemistry
Viscosity
Wound Healing* / drug effects

Substances

Chitosan
Biocompatible Materials
Antioxidants
Anti-Inflammatory Agents