Salecan polysaccharide-based hydrogels and their applications: a review

Polysaccharide-based hydrogels exhibit unique properties like renewability, biocompatibility and biodegradability, thus making them ideal materials for potential utility in tissue engineering scaffolds, drug delivery vehicles, and water purification devices. In the past decade, salecan, a water-soluble β-1,3-glucan secreted by the Agrobacterium sp. ZX09, has become a vital family of polysaccharides for the construction of hydrogels owing to its biofunctionality and susceptibility to chemical modification. This review systematically summarizes for the first time, the recent progress on hydrogels containing salecan polysaccharides. We reviewed the preparation, properties and applications of various salecan-based hydrogels. Challenges and future prospects are discussed at the end of the review.