Fast expandable polysaccharide-based cryogel derived from mushroom for noncompressible bleeding

Shape memory hemostatic sponges are widely employed in the management of non-compressible and inaccessible wounds. However, conventional fabrication methods for these sponges often rely on energy-intensive lyophilization processes and the incorporation of toxic crosslinkers to preserve structural integrity. In this study, we harnessed the natural sponge-like architecture of mushrooms to engineer a novel porous hemostatic sponge specifically tailored for non-compressive wound treatment. Through a series of steps-including deproteinization, freezing, ethanol exchange, and compression-assisted ambient drying-the mushroom biomass was successfully transformed into a chitin/glucan-based cryogel (CG cryogel). The resulting CG cryogel exhibited remarkable properties, including exceptional water absorption capacity (1503 %) and rapid volume expansion within 2.1 s. Furthermore, the CG cryogel demonstrated the ability to aggregate and capture red blood cells and platelets, thereby accelerating the coagulation process. In non-compressible rat liver injury models, the CG cryogel outperformed these commercially available hemostatic agents including gelatin sponge and Celox™ in terms of hemostatic efficacy. Comprehensive biocompatibility evaluations further confirmed the material's excellent cytocompatibility and hemocompatibility. Collectively, these findings highlight the potential of the CG cryogel as a promising therapeutic candidate for the effective management of uncontrolled hemorrhage in clinical applications.