Vurro Davide, Liboà Aris, D'Onofrio Ilenia, De Giorgio Giuseppe, Zhou Zirong, Galstyan Vardan, Qin Yajie, Huang Xiongchuan, D'Angelo Pasquale, Tarabella Giuseppe
Institute of Materials for Electronics and Magnetism (IMEM-CNR), Parco Area delle Scienze 37A, 43124 Parma, Italy.
Department of Chemistry Life Sciences and Environmental Sustainability, University of Parma, Parco Area delle Scienze, 43124 Parma, Italy.
Bioengineering (Basel). 2025 May 20;12(5):547. doi: 10.3390/bioengineering12050547.
In a world characterized by rapid industrialization and a growing population, plastic or polymeric waste handling has undergone significant transformations. Recycling has become a major strategy where silk sericin has great potential among recyclable polymers. This naturally occurring biopolymer is a sustainable and versatile material with a wide range of potential uses in biotechnology and sensing. Furthermore, preparing and studying new environmentally friendly functional polymers with attractive physicochemical properties can open new opportunities for developing next-generation materials and composites. Herein, we provide an overview of the advances in the research studies of silk sericin as a functional and eco-friendly material, considering its biocompatibility and unique physicochemical properties. The structure of silk sericin and the extraction procedures, considering the influence of preparation methods on its properties, are described. Sericin's intrinsic properties, including its ability to crosslink with other polymers, its antioxidative capacity, and its biocompatibility, render it a versatile material for multifunctional applications across diverse fields. In biotechnology, the ability to blend sericin with other polymers enables the preparation of materials with varied morphologies, such as films and scaffolds, exhibiting enhanced mechanical strength and anti-inflammatory effects. This combination proves particularly advantageous in tissue engineering and wound healing. Furthermore, the augmentation of mechanical strength, coupled with the incorporation of plasticizers, makes sericin films suitable for the development of epidermal electrodes. Simultaneously, by precisely controlling hydration and permeability, the same material can be tailored for applications in packaging and the food industry. This work highlights the multidisciplinary and multifunctional nature of sericin, emphasizing its broad applicability.
在一个以快速工业化和人口增长为特征的世界里，塑料或聚合物废物处理已经经历了重大变革。回收利用已成为一项主要战略，其中丝胶蛋白在可回收聚合物中具有巨大潜力。这种天然存在的生物聚合物是一种可持续且用途广泛的材料，在生物技术和传感领域有广泛的潜在用途。此外，制备和研究具有吸引人的物理化学性质的新型环保功能聚合物可为开发下一代材料和复合材料带来新机遇。在此，我们概述了丝胶蛋白作为一种功能型和生态友好型材料的研究进展，考虑到其生物相容性和独特的物理化学性质。描述了丝胶蛋白的结构以及提取程序，同时考虑了制备方法对其性质的影响。丝胶蛋白的固有特性，包括其与其他聚合物交联的能力、抗氧化能力和生物相容性，使其成为一种适用于不同领域多功能应用的通用材料。在生物技术领域，将丝胶蛋白与其他聚合物混合的能力能够制备出具有不同形态的材料，如薄膜和支架，展现出增强的机械强度和抗炎效果。这种组合在组织工程和伤口愈合方面尤其有利。此外，机械强度的增强以及增塑剂的加入，使丝胶蛋白薄膜适用于表皮电极的开发。同时，通过精确控制水合作用和渗透性，同样的材料可定制用于包装和食品工业。这项工作突出了丝胶蛋白的多学科和多功能性质，强调了其广泛的适用性。
