Kowalska Agata, Smułka Agata, Adamska Elżbieta, Zarzeczańska Dorota, Ossowski Tadeusz, Grobelna Beata
Faculty of Chemistry, University of Gdansk, Wita Stwosza, 6380308, Gdańsk, Poland.
Curr Med Chem. 2025 Jan 6. doi: 10.2174/0109298673336929241004074529.
The medical and cosmetic industries have developed in recent years, there has been a growing demand for new materials. Gold nanoparticles (Au NPs) and chitosan (CS) have been known and used for many years. Unfortunately, despite their numerous advantages and possible applications, such materials may possess certain disadvantages and limitations that constitute a problem in medical or cosmetic applications. Au NPs may have potential toxicity depending on their size, shape, charge, surface coatings, and tendency to agglomerate into larger clusters. On the other hand, the CS production process requires strict control due to the possibility of uncontrolled hydrolysis or chemical modifications during polymer isolation. The combination of Au NPs and CS that differ in chemical and phase in one composite (Au/CS) allows for acquiring of new material with many advantages. The obtained composite has good mechanical properties and is biocompatible due to the presence of CS and the antibacterial properties of Au NPs. Therefore, it can be successfully used in many branches of medicine, including gene delivery, cell encapsulation, wound healing process, or as a preservative ingredient of cosmetics. Moreover, Au/CS nanocomposites are used in the food industry and environmental protection. This review highlights the preparation routes, properties, and applications of Au NPs and CS as separate materials. Moreover, the last part presents the advantages of combining these two materials into one nanocomposite. Specifically, we described the role of CS in the synthesis of Au NPs and possible subsequent applications of such nanomaterials as an element of biosensors, scaffolds, and an intelligent drug release system or tissue engineering.
近年来，医疗和美容行业不断发展，对新材料的需求日益增长。金纳米颗粒（Au NPs）和壳聚糖（CS）已为人所知并使用多年。不幸的是，尽管它们具有诸多优点和潜在应用，但这类材料可能存在某些缺点和局限性，在医疗或美容应用中构成问题。Au NPs可能具有潜在毒性，这取决于它们的尺寸、形状、电荷、表面涂层以及聚集成更大团簇的倾向。另一方面，由于在聚合物分离过程中可能发生不受控制的水解或化学修饰，CS的生产过程需要严格控制。将化学和相态不同的Au NPs和CS组合在一种复合材料（Au/CS）中，可以获得具有许多优点的新材料。由于CS的存在以及Au NPs的抗菌特性，所得到的复合材料具有良好的机械性能且具有生物相容性。因此，它可以成功应用于医学的许多领域，包括基因递送、细胞封装、伤口愈合过程，或用作化妆品的防腐成分。此外，Au/CS纳米复合材料还应用于食品工业和环境保护。本综述重点介绍了Au NPs和CS作为单独材料的制备路线、性能和应用。此外，最后一部分介绍了将这两种材料组合成一种纳米复合材料的优点。具体而言，我们描述了CS在Au NPs合成中的作用，以及此类纳米材料作为生物传感器、支架、智能药物释放系统或组织工程元件可能的后续应用。
