The symbiotic culture of bacteria and yeast (SCOBY) driving kombucha tea fermentation produces a cellulose pellicle with remarkable promise for biomedical applications. Unlike well-studied bacterial cellulose (BC), which is produced by single-strain cultures, the underexplored kombucha-derived bacterial cellulose (KBC) can be produced from agro-industrial waste streams and at low capital cost. This review provides an overview of the great potential of KBC for biomedical applications. First, discussions on the cooperative interactions between bacterial and yeast species within the SCOBY consortium that drive the self-assembled production of cellulose at an air-liquid interface are provided. This is followed by an examination of the influence of carbon source, fermentation conditions, and post-processing on KBC yield, crystallinity, porosity, mechanical properties, and water retention. Physical and chemical modification strategies used to tune KBC behavior are then summarized, including silver (Ag) and gold (Au) functionalization, diisocyanate crosslinking, and incorporation as a nanofiller in biodegradable polymer composites. The applications section focuses on wound dressings and antimicrobial platforms, followed by tissue engineering scaffolds suitable for 3D printing and KBC’s role as a drug delivery vehicle. The main barriers to clinical translation are discussed, including limitations in reproducibility linked to undefined SCOBY composition, limited long-term in vivo studies, and the absence of a clear regulatory pathway for functionalized KBC and composites.
Magdalena Bartolewska, Alicja Kosik-Kozioł, Zuzanna J. Krysiak et al.· ACS Applied Engineering Mate...· 0 citations
The human skin is highly susceptible to bacterial infections and inflammation when its integrity is disrupted. Treatment of infected wounds is a big challenge in modern medicine, and rising antibiotic resistance motivates the development of antibiotic-free therapies. Here, we present a stimuli-responsive wound dressing that integrates carboxylated eggshell membrane (ESM) with electrosprayed tannic acid/iron (TAFe) particles trapped between electrospun Poly-L-lactide-caprolactone (PLCL) layers and precisely laser-structured to increase porosity and fit the wound size. The TAFe exhibits stable photothermal conversion and antioxidant activity, eradicating more than 99.5% of Staphylococcus aureus (S. aureus) and Escherichia coli (E. coli), while maintaining high biocompatibility in vitro. In an infected rat model, the sandwich-like ESMmod/PLCL/TAFe dressing accelerated closure and achieved near-complete healing, with residual wound area <1% by day 14. Analysis shows that the material promotes M2-mediated reparative microenvironment, which, in consequence, suppresses TNFα and IL-6, a pro-inflammatory cytokines, and enhances angiogenesis through increased CD31 and VEGF levels. Moreover, a more organized collagen structure and less scarring were found in the wound bed. Importantly, the material is partially derived from waste, aligning with circular economy principles and reducing resource burden. The versatile composite offers an antibiotic-free strategy that disinfects, modulates inflammation, and promotes regeneration of infected wounds.
Daniel Rybak, Xingran Li, Alicja Kosik-Kozioł et al.· Small· 0 citations