Biomimetic Superwetting Polysaccharide-Based Composite Hydrogel Interfaces from an Eco-Dialectical Perspective:...

Biomaterial-associated infection remains a persistent challenge for implantable devices, catheters, wound dressings, and tissue-engineering scaffolds. This structured narrative review critically evaluates biomimetic superwetting polysaccharide-based composite hydrogel interfaces based on chitosan, alginate, hyaluronic acid, cellulose/nanocellulose, bacterial cellulose, and dextran. The analysis links polymer network design and cross-linking strategy to pore architecture, swelling, mechanical properties, hydration-layer stabilization, protein adsorption, bacterial adhesion, biofilm development, and cytocompatibility. Stable interfacial hydration can increase the energetic penalty for protein and bacterial approach, but high water uptake alone is insufficient: excessive swelling, low network density, poorly controlled pore interconnectivity, and weak wet-state fixation can compromise durability or provide protected sites for bacterial retention. Study-level comparisons therefore emphasize reported values for network structure, swelling, mechanics, wettability or hydration, and antibacterial/antibiofilm performance, with unreported parameters identified as such. Notably, interactions among biomaterials, bacteria, and host tissues exhibit synergistic and co-evolutionary characteristics, forming a dynamically evolving microecological balance. This eco-synergistic perspective provides a useful conceptual framework for proposing antifouling strategies that aim to regulate rather than eradicate bacterial colonization. Future work should prioritize eco-synergistic design, durable hydration, mechanically stable and porous-yet-cleanable networks, selective interfacial regulation, dynamic characterization, standardized testing, and manufacturable formulations with the minimum necessary active components.