Polysaccharide platforms for advanced anti-biofilm and anti-fouling applications

Bacterial colonization and biofilm formation present critical challenges across medical devices, wound interfaces, and biological surfaces, driving persistent infections and treatment failures. Conventional antibacterial strategies primarily target planktonic microorganisms, often overlooking the fundamental need to prevent surface fouling and biofilm establishment. In response, polysaccharides-natural biopolymers derived from plants, algae, fungi, and bacteria-have emerged as advanced anti-fouling agents. These materials exhibit unique advantages including inherent biocompatibility, tunable surface chemistry, and multifaceted mechanisms to deter bacterial adhesion and biofilm development. Unlike previous reviews, this work provides a novel design-oriented framework by systematically linking polysaccharide structural features to specific anti-biofilm mechanisms, offering a theoretical blueprint for developing intelligent anti-infection interfaces. This review explores the development of polysaccharides in combating surface dirt and biofilm proliferation, with a focus on their mechanisms of action-inhibition of bacterial attachment and aggregation, regulation of the host immune system, formation of a physical barrier, and induction of bacterial death. These characteristics establish polysaccharides as versatile platforms for developing next generation anti-fouling coatings, wound dressings, and medical device interfaces.