Acetylated yeast mannan endowing biomimetic electrospun nanofibers with hydrophobicity and moisturizing property for accelerated cutaneous defects repair

Yulong Zhang; Xingwei Li; Hongao Chen; Xianrui Xie; Chengbo Li; Guige Hou; Yuexia Ding; Zhongfei Gao

doi:10.1016/j.ijbiomac.2025.145944

Acetylated yeast mannan endowing biomimetic electrospun nanofibers with hydrophobicity and moisturizing property for accelerated cutaneous defects repair

Int J Biol Macromol. 2025 Jul 11:145944. doi: 10.1016/j.ijbiomac.2025.145944. Online ahead of print.

Authors

Yulong Zhang¹, Xingwei Li², Hongao Chen¹, Xianrui Xie¹, Chengbo Li¹, Guige Hou³, Yuexia Ding⁴, Zhongfei Gao⁵

Affiliations

¹ School of Pharmacy, Key Laboratory of Medical Antibacterial Materials of Shandong Province, Binzhou Medical University, Yantai 264003, PR China.
² School of Pharmacy, Key Laboratory of Medical Antibacterial Materials of Shandong Province, Binzhou Medical University, Yantai 264003, PR China; Department of Pharmacy, Yantai Yuhuangding Hospital, Yantai 264000, PR China.
³ School of Pharmacy, Key Laboratory of Medical Antibacterial Materials of Shandong Province, Binzhou Medical University, Yantai 264003, PR China; Department of Microbiology, College of Life Science, Key Laboratory for Agriculture Microbiology, Shandong Agricultural University, Tai'an 271018, PR China. Electronic address: guigehou@163.com.
⁴ Department of Pharmacy, Yantai Yuhuangding Hospital, Yantai 264000, PR China. Electronic address: ding1022@163.com.
⁵ School of Pharmacy, Key Laboratory of Medical Antibacterial Materials of Shandong Province, Binzhou Medical University, Yantai 264003, PR China; Department of Microbiology, College of Life Science, Key Laboratory for Agriculture Microbiology, Shandong Agricultural University, Tai'an 271018, PR China. Electronic address: gzhongfei@163.com.

PMID: 40653217
DOI: 10.1016/j.ijbiomac.2025.145944

Abstract

Mammalian skin is composed of hydrophobic polymers such as proteins, polysaccharide and oily matrices, serving as a crucial barrier to prevent adverse factors from rapidly infiltrating the body while also functioning as a key organ for material exchange. However, open wounds resulting from skin defects can disrupt the internal stability of the body's environment, leading to water loss and delaying the wound healing process. Mannan is believed to synergize with natural moisturizing factors (NMF). Inspired by the hydrophobic structure of skin, firstly, acetylated yeast mannans (AM) were synthetized as a hydrophobic and moisturizing component. Subsequently, we developed a composite electrospun nanofiber (PVCQAM), which integrates polyvinyl alcohol (PVA, a biocompatible component), AM, collagen (Col, extracellular matrix component), and quaternized chitosan (QCS, a hydrophobic and antibacterial component) to the mimic the architecture and functions involved in wound healing. AM enhanced the surface hydrophobicity compared to the mannan-containing nanofibers (PVCQM). Furthermore, as the degree of acetylation increased, nanofibers manifested improved hydrophobic properties. The nanofibers demonstrated thermal stability, and suitable stretchability that aligns with human tissue characteristics. The incorporation of QCS imparted inherent antibacterial effects to the biomimetic nanofibers against S.aureus and E.coli. Notably, excellent cytocompatibility and hemocompatibility in vitro have prompted us to evaluate the therapeutic efficacy in a cutaneous defect model. The electrospun nanofibers in this study displayed significant anti-inflammatory effects and promoted collagen deposition, resulting in an impressive wound closure rate of 95 %. The skin-inspired nanofiber dressing based on hydrophobic AM presents significant potential for moisturizing and facilitating benign tissue repair in defect management.

Keywords: Acetylated yeast mannan; Chemical modification; Electrospun nanofiber; Moisturizing property; Wound repair.