Levan Inspired Hybrid Composites Materials: Bridging Natural Polysaccharides with Biomedical Technology

Levan is a microbial fructan type exopolysaccharide that has attracted increasing attention due to its biocompatibility, biodegradability, low toxicity, and versatile functional properties. However, the direct application of native levan is often limited due to poor mechanical strength, moisture sensitivity, and instability under processing or storage conditions. To overcome these limitations, levan has been integrated with natural polymers, synthetic polymers, nanoclays, and metal or metal oxide nanoparticles to develop advanced hybrid composites with enhanced physicochemical and biological performance. These levan based composites exhibit improved tensile strength, thermal stability, barrier properties, controlled swelling, and tunable surface characteristics, making them promising materials for biomedical and healthcare applications. Recent studies have highlighted their potential in drug delivery, wound healing, antimicrobial and antibiofilm coatings, tissue engineering scaffolds, biosensors, and anticancer systems. This review critically discusses levan structure, biosynthesis, production strategies, and the key factors governing successful composite formation, including interfacial compatibility, filler dispersion, and molecular architecture. In addition, major challenges such as high production cost, batch-to-batch variability, scalability, long-term stability, and regulatory concerns are addressed. Overall, levan inspired hybrid composites represent a promising platform for next-generation sustainable biomaterials, although further process optimization and translational studies are required for commercial realization.