A nanochitin-drived natural biological adhesive with high cohesive for wound healing

Huazhong Ma; Yujun Zou; Liang Liu; Juan Yu; Peng Wang; Lin Lin; Meijuan Chen; Ruoxian Jia; Yimin Fan

doi:10.1016/j.ijbiomac.2025.139505

A nanochitin-drived natural biological adhesive with high cohesive for wound healing

Int J Biol Macromol. 2025 Jan 7:139505. doi: 10.1016/j.ijbiomac.2025.139505. Online ahead of print.

Authors

Huazhong Ma¹, Yujun Zou², Liang Liu³, Juan Yu⁴, Peng Wang⁵, Lin Lin⁶, Meijuan Chen⁶, Ruoxian Jia⁶, Yimin Fan⁷

Affiliations

¹ Jiangsu Co-Innovation Center of Efficient Processing and Utilization of Forest Resources, International Innovation Center for Forest Chemicals and Materials, College of Chemical Engineering, Nanjing Forestry University, Longpan Road 159, Nanjing 210037, China. Electronic address: mahuazhong@njfu.edu.cn.
² Jiangsu Co-Innovation Center of Efficient Processing and Utilization of Forest Resources, International Innovation Center for Forest Chemicals and Materials, College of Chemical Engineering, Nanjing Forestry University, Longpan Road 159, Nanjing 210037, China. Electronic address: zyj297@njfu.edu.cn.
³ Jiangsu Co-Innovation Center of Efficient Processing and Utilization of Forest Resources, International Innovation Center for Forest Chemicals and Materials, College of Chemical Engineering, Nanjing Forestry University, Longpan Road 159, Nanjing 210037, China. Electronic address: liuliang_hg@njfu.edu.cn.
⁴ Jiangsu Co-Innovation Center of Efficient Processing and Utilization of Forest Resources, International Innovation Center for Forest Chemicals and Materials, College of Chemical Engineering, Nanjing Forestry University, Longpan Road 159, Nanjing 210037, China. Electronic address: yujuannjfu@njfu.edu.cn.
⁵ State Key Laboratory of Pharmaceutical Biotechnology, Department of Sports Medicine and Adult Reconstructive Surgery, Nanjing Drum Tower Hospital, The Affiliated Hospital of Nanjing University Medical School, Nanjing 210008, China. Electronic address: 15850681759@163.com.
⁶ Jiangsu Opera Medical Supplies Co., Ltd, China.
⁷ Jiangsu Co-Innovation Center of Efficient Processing and Utilization of Forest Resources, International Innovation Center for Forest Chemicals and Materials, College of Chemical Engineering, Nanjing Forestry University, Longpan Road 159, Nanjing 210037, China. Electronic address: fanyimin@njfu.edu.cn.

PMID: 39788259
DOI: 10.1016/j.ijbiomac.2025.139505

Abstract

The weak cohesive strength of tissue adhesives hinders their practical applications. To overcome this challenge, we develop a green bio-adhesive that balances both cohesion and adhesion, drawing inspiration from the natural adhesion mechanisms of mussels. This bio-adhesive, referred to as OTS, was ingeniously crafted through the co-assembly of multi-surface-charged chitin nanofibers (OAChN) and tannic acid (TA), integrated with silk fibroin (SF), resulting in a material with enhanced cohesive strength and robust adhesive properties. The adhesive achieved significant cohesion through hydrogen-bonded crosslinking among OAChN, SF, and TA, boasting a tensile strength of 24.53 KPa and allowing for 150 % elastic deformation. OTS adheres effectively to diverse complex surfaces, with adhesive strengths of 14.55 MPa underwater and 8.83 MPa in air, demonstrating excellent versatility. The biocompatibility and degradability of OTS were confirmed by a wound healing model in SD rats, showing no nanotoxicity and effectively promoting wound healing, rapid hemostasis, and sealing. This green adhesive strategy offers a novel approach to augmenting the cohesive strength of tissue adhesives suitable for complex conditions and has potential medical applications ranging from rapid hemostasis to wound healing enhancement.

Keywords: Biological adhesive; Cohesive enhancement; Nanochitin; Wound healing.