Alginate-based Materials Research Articles

Preparation and Biochemical Activity of Copper-Coated Cellulose Nonwoven Fabric via Magnetron Sputtering and Alginate-Calcium Ion Complexation.

Alginate-based materials have gained significant recognition in the medical industry due to their favorable biochemical properties. As a continuation of our previous studies, we have introduced a new composite consisting of cellulose nonwoven fabric charged with a metallic copper core (CNW-Cu0) covered with a calcium alginate (ALG-Ca2+) layer. The preparation process for these materials involved three main steps: coating the cellulose nonwoven fabric with copper via magnetron sputtering (CNW → CNW-Cu0), subsequent deposition with sodium alginate (CNW-Cu0 → CNW-Cu0/ALG-Na+), followed by cross-linking the alginate chains with calcium ions (CNW-Cu0/ALG-Na+ → CNW-Cu0/ALG-Ca2+). The primary objective of the work was to supply these composites with such biological attributes as antibacterial and hemostatic activity. Namely, equipping the antibacterial materials (copper action on representative Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria and fungal strains) with induction of blood plasma clotting processes (activated partial thromboplastin time (aPTT) and prothrombin time (PT)). We determined the effect of CNW-Cu0/ALG-Ca2+ materials on the viability of Peripheral blood mononuclear (PBM) cells. Moreover, we studied the interactions of CNW-Cu0/ALG-Ca2+ materials with DNA using the relaxation plasmid assay. However, results showed CNW-Cu0/ALG-Ca2+'s cytotoxic properties against PBM cells in a time-dependent manner. Furthermore, the CNW-Cu0/ALG-Ca2+ composite exhibited the potential to interact directly with DNA. The results demonstrated that the CNW-Cu0/ALG-Ca2+ composites synthesized show promising potential for wound dressing applications.

Structure, properties, forming, and applications of alginate fibers: A review

Alginate has gained extensive attention due to its versatile properties and numerous applications in different fields. Due to the abundant availability of raw alginate in nature and its advantage of being easily recycled, alginate-based materials are conducive to advancing the shift away from an economy dependent on fossil fuels to a more environmentally friendly and sustainable one. In addition, its inherent biocompatibility makes alginate a fascinating biomedical material. This comprehensive review presents a detailed analysis of alginate, focusing on its structural characteristics, physicochemical and biological properties, current processing technologies, and modification strategies. This review explores the diverse applications of alginate-based materials in biomedicine and healthcare, considering drug delivery systems, tissue engineering, and wound dressings. Additionally, this review looks into the environmental applications of alginate in biosensors and waste-water treatment. The challenges associated with alginate utilization and future perspectives for research and development are also presented. This review provides a comprehensive overview of alginate, offering valuable insights into its properties, applications, and potential for future applications across various industries.

Calcium alginate films loaded with copper-molybdenum oxide nanoparticles for antimicrobial applications

The rise in petroleum-based plastic waste, driven by increased consumption from delivery services and e-commerce, necessitates the search for sustainable alternatives like alginate-based materials to mitigate environmental risks. However, alginate, a biopolymer, has limited physico-chemical properties, lacks antibacterial capacity, and exhibits low antiviral activity. To address these issues, this study synthesized Cu3Mo2O9 semiconductor nanoparticles (CMO) and integrated them into alginate films crosslinked with Ca2+, producing advanced nanocomposite films with varying nanoparticle concentrations (0–10 wt%). CMO nanoparticles release Cu2+ and Mo6+ ions and generate reactive oxygen species (ROS), even in the dark. Results show that CMO weakly interacts with alginate blocks, causing slight structural changes but not significantly altering mechanical or thermal properties. CMO released Cu2+ (150–250 ppb at 24 h) and Mo6+ ions (5–8 ppm at 24 h), with Cu2+ undergoing cation exchange with Ca2+ crosslinking ions. Antibacterial tests demonstrated the composites' effectiveness against Gram-negative Pseudomonas aeruginosa (97.30 % and 91.36 % growth inhibition at 5 % and 10 % CMO), Gram-positive methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (87.26 % and 96.82 % inhibition at 5 % and 10 % CMO), and Mycobacterium smegmatis (99.83 % and 99.97 % inhibition at 5 % and 10 % CMO). These composites also showed antiviral activity against bacteriophage phi 6 (99.81 % and 92.66 % inactivation at 5 % and 10 % CMO) and bacteriophage MS2 (92.32 % and 92.93 % inactivation at 5 % and 10 % CMO). The primary mechanism is attributed to the release of Cu2+ cations and ROS generation. These nanocomposite films exhibit broad-spectrum antimicrobial activity, offering potential industrial applications in packaging and antimicrobial surfaces.

Fabrication and characterization of an alginate-based film incorporated with cinnamaldehyde for fruit preservation

Sodium alginate (SA) is widely used in the food, biomedical, and chemical industries due to its biocompatibility, biodegradability, and excellent film-forming properties. This article introduces a simple method for preparing uniform alginate-based packaging materials with exceptional properties for fruit preservation. The alginate was uniformly crosslinked by gradually releasing calcium ions triggered by the sustained hydrolysis of gluconolactone (GDL). A cinnamaldehyde (CA) emulsion, stabilized by xanthan without the use of traditional surfactants, was tightly incorporated into the alginate film to enhance its antimicrobial, antioxidant, and UV shielding properties. The alginate-based film effectively blocked ultraviolet rays in the range of 400–200 nm, while allowing for a visible light transmittance of up to 70 %. Additionally, it showed an increased water contact angle and decreased water vapor permeability. The alginate-based film was also employed in the preparation of coated paper through the commonly used coating process in the papermaking industry. The alginate-based material displayed excellent antioxidant properties and antimicrobial activity against Escherichia coli, Staphylococcus aureus and Botrytis cinerea, successfully extending the shelf life of strawberries to 7 days at room temperature. This low-cost and facile method has the potential to drive advancements in the food and biomedical fields by tightly incorporating active oil onto a wide range of biomacromolecule substrates.

A macromolecular cross-linked alginate aerogel with excellent concentrating effect for rapid hemostasis

Alginate-based materials present promising potential for emergency hemostasis due to their excellent properties, such as procoagulant capability, biocompatibility, low immunogenicity, and cost-effectiveness. However, the inherent deficiencies in water solubility and mechanical strength pose a threat to hemostatic efficiency. Here, we innovatively developed a macromolecular cross-linked alginate aerogel based on norbornene- and thiol-functionalized alginates through a combined thiol-ene cross-linking/freeze-drying process. The resulting aerogel features an interconnected macroporous structure with remarkable water-uptake capacity (approximately 9000 % in weight ratio), contributing to efficient blood absorption, while the enhanced mechanical strength of the aerogel ensures stability and durability during the hemostatic process. Comprehensive hemostasis-relevant assays demonstrated that the aerogel possessed outstanding coagulation capability, which is attributed to the synergistic impacts on concentrating effect, platelet enrichment, and intrinsic coagulation pathway. Upon application to in vivo uncontrolled hemorrhage models of tail amputation and hepatic injury, the aerogel demonstrated significantly superior performance compared to commercial alginate hemostatic agent, yielding reductions in clotting time and blood loss of up to 80 % and 85 %, respectively. Collectively, our work illustrated that the alginate porous aerogel overcomes the deficiencies of alginate materials while exhibiting exceptional performance in hemorrhage, rendering it an appealing candidate for rapid hemostasis.

In English

The use of wound dressings is gaining more and more popularity, especially in the field of tactical and military medicine. Developing wound dressings capable of facilitating wound treatment and reducing healing time is one of the challenges of modern science. So, sodium alginate (Alg) is a good candidate for the development of wound dressings due to its bio- and hemocompatibility and biodegradability. However, Alg has its shortcomings, which can be dispatched by modification. The purpose of this work was to investigate the effect of Alg modification on the kinetics of ethonium release from crosslinked with Ca2+ ions samples. For this purpose, a method of Alg modifying with octane-1-amine was developed without the use of organic solvents and with the use of 1-ethyl-3-(3-dimethyl aminopropyl) carbodiimide hydrochloride (EDCl) as an initiator. The optimal parameters of alginate modification process were defined as 60 °С temperature and 24 hours duration. Physicochemical methods confirmed the success of the modification. Films based on the alginate modified with octane-1-amine (AlgM) were obtained using a calcium chloride solution as a crosslinker. The kinetics of swelling was studied and we found that the degree of swelling of the sample based on AlgM after 10 minutes is twice as large (α = 0.71) as for Alg (α = 0.37), which indicates a faster release of drugs. It has been found that the kinetics of release of ethonium depends not only on the kinetics of swelling but also on the chemical nature of the drug. The ethonium was immobilised in alginate films as a model of bactericidal drug. The kinetics of ethonium release was studied at different pH values corresponding to the pH of healthy skin (5.5), open wounds (7.2) and inflamed wounds (8.2). It was found that the release of ethonium from the sample based on AlgM is more pH-sensitive and prolonged, compared to the sample based on Alg. This effect is explained by the appearance of an additional mechanism of retention of ethonium by AlgM due to hydrophobic-hydrophobic interactions in the films. The prolonged release properties observed in the drug-loaded samples make them promising candidates for the development of targeted drug delivery systems and wound dressings, which are particularly relevant for the treatment of chronic and burn wounds. Future research will focus on optimizing the crosslinking method and exploring potential applications of modified alginate-based materials in biomedical sciences.

A sodium alginate gel bead adsorbent doping with amidoxime-modified hydroxyapatite for the efficient adsorption of uranium

In this work, the modified‑sodium alginate gel beads were prepared by sol-gel method. Due to the presence of water channels in the sodium alginate gel bead, amidoxime groups and PO43− were exposed to the surface of the adsorbent to the maximum extent, resulting in the excellent adsorption capacity of modified‑sodium alginate gel beads. The introduction of amidoxime-modified hydroxyapatite significantly improved the adsorption capacity and the adsorption rate of the gel beads. The adsorption capacity increased from 308.7 to 466.0 mg/g and the adsorption equilibrium time was shortened from 300 min to 120 min. The modified‑sodium alginate gel bead possessed the advantages of short adsorption time, high adsorption efficiency and large adsorption capacity, which could be regarded as a potential adsorbent for uranium. Moreover, the uranium removal ability on the modified gel beads was mainly attributed to the Coulomb force between PO43− and uranium and the complexation between uranium and amidoxime groups. In summary, this work would provide a new idea for the modification and application of sodium alginate-based materials.

Structure, dynamics, and functional properties of hybrid alginate-pectin gels dually crosslinked by Ca2+ and Zn2+ ions designed as a delivery device for self-emulsifying systems for lipophilic phytotherapeutics

Alginate gels are outstanding biomaterials widely applicable in food and pharmaceutical industries. This contribution provides comprehensive insight into the design of advanced hybrid alginate/pectin co-networks double crosslinked by Ca2+/Zn2+ ions encapsulating self-emulsifying systems (SES). The tunable mucoadhesive properties, structural stability, integrity, dissolution profiles, and enhanced in-vivo bioavailability make the synthesized hybrid systems ideal vehicles for the delivery of lipophilic phytotherapeutics, allowing the long-term site-specific treatment of intestinal inflammation. This work also provides a thorough understanding of the structure-property relationships of alginate-pectin gels at the atomic resolution level. It was found out that SES molecules form well-distributed, phase-separated microparticles that interact with the polysaccharide matrix through a well-defined interface. The hybrid alginate-pectin gel is highly cross-linked, with both types of polysaccharides participating in the network formation. The observed surface interactions of SES droplets increase the intrinsic mobility of the network. The plasticizing effect can be regulated by the amount of pectin macromolecules, whose interaction with alginate chains enables a strengthening of the polysaccharide network. Overall, the domain-like architecture of hybrid alginate-pectin gels synthesized by external ionic gelation is revealed; the key structural motifs responsible for their properties are discovered; and the pathways allowing their regulation are identified. Biological in-vivo tests then confirmed positive effects of the synthesized systems in living organisms. The strategy presented thus offers a new perspective for the rational design of alginate-based materials for the microencapsulation of bioactive compounds for advanced orally administered delivery systems or controlled-release decontaminators applicable in the food and nutraceutical processing industries.

Blood Coagulation Activities of Cotton-Alginate-Copper Composites.

Alginate-based materials have gained significant attention in the medical industry due to their biochemical properties. In this article, we aimed to synthesize Cotton-Alginate-Copper Composite Materials (COT-Alg(-)Cu(2+)). The main purpose of this study was to assess the biochemical properties of new composites in the area of blood plasma coagulation processes, including activated partial thromboplastin time (aPTT), prothrombin time (PT), and thrombin time (TT). This study also involved in vitro antimicrobial activity evaluation of materials against representative colonies of Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria and antifungal susceptibility tests. The materials were prepared by immersing cotton fibers in an aqueous solution of sodium alginate, followed by ionic cross-linking of alginate chains within the fibers with Cu(II) ions to yield antimicrobial activity. The results showed that the obtained cotton-alginate-copper composites were promising materials to be used in biomedical applications, e.g., wound dressing.

Ultrasound assistance synthesis of optimized ion imprinted polymer for efficient and selective removal of cobalt ions from waste streams

Selective recognition of metal ions is a real challenge for a large range of applications especially in sorption purposes. The use of ultrasound in the synthesizing and modifying of sodium alginate-based material is investigated, for enhancing the dispersion, degassing, crosslinking processes and enhance the homogeneity of ion imprinted polymer properties. Cobalt imprinted polymer was prepared using an inexpensive and simple ultrasonic-mediated polymerization process that incorporated dual functional monomers, acrylic acid, and 2-Acrylamido-2-methylpropane sulfonic acid to feature a multifunctional of carboxylic and sulfonic groups. SEM, TGA, DTA, and EDX were used to analyze the surface morphology. FT-IR study confirmed that the complexation of the Co-IIP was successfully takes place. The ability of the adsorption of ion imprinted was optimized at pH 5. The increase of the temperature from 27 to 52 °C caused the increase in the adsorption capacity. Batch tests have been performed to evaluate the selectivity mechanism, and found that the prepared polymer exhibit excellent selectivity for Cobalt, more than nickel, and strontium at 300°K (single component) were 71, 20, and 12 mg.g−1 respectively. Pseudo-second-order kinetics and the Langmuir isotherm gave the most satisfactory explanation for the adsorption process. The prepared polymer can be reused 5 times with a very low loss in adsorption capacity. The prepared ion imprinted polymer is efficiently utilized in controlling Co2+ sorption/desorption processes, enabling its successful recovery from complex sample matrices for various applications especially that required separation processes.

Influence of Alginate Properties and Calcium Chloride Concentration on Alginate Bead Reticulation and Size: A Phenomenological Approach.

Two types of alginates, AlgLF and AlgP, were used in this study to produce alginate beads by electro-vibratory extrusion. AlgLF and AlgP exhibited different Mannuronate/Guluronate (M/G) ratios and molecular weights as measured by NMR and SEC-MALS. The calcium chloride concentration was found to have the greatest effect on bead size. Higher concentrations resulted in smaller beads. AlgLF with a higher molecular weight and a lower proportion of G blocks showed smaller beads. For both alginates, the bead size was also influenced by the flow rate and vibration frequency. Alginate solution aging showed a minimal effect. Alginate reticulation was modeled using a mathematical equation. The study provides insights for the optimization of alginate-based materials in different applications by shedding light on the main factors influencing bead size. The importance of the molecular weight, M/G ratio and calcium ion concentration in the gelling process is highlighted, providing opportunities for the tailoring of alginate materials through a phenomenological model.

State of Innovation in Alginate-Based Materials.

This review article presents past and current alginate-based materials in each application, showing the widest range of alginate's usage and development in the past and in recent years. The first segment emphasizes the unique characteristics of alginates and their origin. The second segment sets alginates according to their application based on their features and limitations. Alginate is a polysaccharide and generally occurs as water-soluble sodium alginate. It constitutes hydrophilic and anionic polysaccharides originally extracted from natural brown algae and bacteria. Due to its promising properties, such as gelling, moisture retention, and film-forming, it can be used in environmental protection, cosmetics, medicine, tissue engineering, and the food industry. The comparison of publications with alginate-based products in the field of environmental protection, medicine, food, and cosmetics in scientific articles showed that the greatest number was assigned to the environmental field (30,767) and medicine (24,279), whereas fewer publications were available in cosmetic (5692) and food industries (24,334). Data are provided from the Google Scholar database (including abstract, title, and keywords), accessed in May 2023. In this review, various materials based on alginate are described, showing detailed information on modified composites and their possible usage. Alginate's application in water remediation and its significant value are highlighted. In this study, existing knowledge is compared, and this paper concludes with its future prospects.

Degradation of aniline: sodium alginate/modified pomelo cellulose double cross-linking system as a bacterial immobilization carrier.

Pectin cellulose grafted with glycidyltrimethylammoniochloride (GTMAC) was successfully obtained following the processes of depectinfibrillation and cellulose cationization using ordinary Shatian pomelo peel produced in Yongzhou, Hunan, as the raw material. This is the first report on a new type of functionalized sodium alginate-immobilized material prepared from the fibers of pomelo peel. The material was prepared by combining modified pomelo peel cellulose and sodium alginate following the processes of physical and chemical double cross-linking. The prepared material was used to embed the target bacteria to achieve the biodegradation of p-aniline. The concentration of CaCl2 was adjusted when the alginate gelled, and the alginate to yuzu peel cellulose ratio was tuned. The immobilized material-embedded bacteria help achieve the best degradation effect. Bacteria are embedded during the process of the degradation of aniline wastewater, and the functionalization of the cellulose/sodium alginate-immobilized material results in unique surface structure performance. The performance of the prepared system is better than that of the single sodium alginate-based material characterized by a large surface area and good mechanical properties. The degradation efficiency of the system is improved significantly for the cellulose materials, and the prepared materials can potentially find applications in the field of bacteria-fixed technology.

Alginate-Based Materials Loaded with Nanoparticles in Wound Healing.

Alginate is a naturally derived polysaccharide widely applied in drug delivery, as well as regenerative medicine, tissue engineering and wound care. Due to its excellent biocompatibility, low toxicity, and the ability to absorb a high amount of exudate, it is widely used in modern wound dressings. Numerous studies indicate that alginate applied in wound care can be enhanced with the incorporation of nanoparticles, revealing additional properties beneficial in the healing process. Among the most extensively explored materials, composite dressings with alginate loaded with antimicrobial inorganic nanoparticles can be mentioned. However, other types of nanoparticles with antibiotics, growth factors, and other active ingredients are also investigated. This review article focuses on the most recent findings regarding novel alginate-based materials loaded with nanoparticles and their applicability as wound dressings, with special attention paid to the materials of potential use in the treatment of chronic wounds.

Alginate-Based Biomaterials in Tissue Engineering and Regenerative Medicine.

Today, with the salient advancements of modern and smart technologies related to tissue engineering and regenerative medicine (TE-RM), the use of sustainable and biodegradable materials with biocompatibility and cost-effective advantages have been investigated more than before. Alginate as a naturally occurring anionic polymer can be obtained from brown seaweed to develop a wide variety of composites for TE, drug delivery, wound healing, and cancer therapy. This sustainable and renewable biomaterial displays several fascinating properties such as high biocompatibility, low toxicity, cost-effectiveness, and mild gelation by inserting divalent cations (e.g., Ca2+). In this context, challenges still exist in relation to the low solubility and high viscosity of high-molecular weight alginate, high density of intra- and inter-molecular hydrogen bonding, polyelectrolyte nature of the aqueous solution, and a lack of suitable organic solvents. Herein, TE-RM applications of alginate-based materials are deliberated, focusing on current trends, important challenges, and future prospects.

Preparation of compact alginate films for 2D in vitro studies: Challenges and strategies for improvement

Alginate-based hydrogels show high biocompatibility and therefore are broadly used for cell cultivation and tissue engineering approaches in general. When hydrogel films for cell seeding were prepared by following published protocols, attached but inhomogeneously distributed cells were observed, which was attributed to the fact that casted hydrogel films were uneven and irregularly shaped. The causes of these irregularities resulting in an inhomogeneous cell distribution, e.g., due to accumulation of cells in cracks, were investigated. This study established a universal protocol for preparing planar hydrogel films that allow a homogenous cell distribution by varying several parameters such as alginate type, freezing, and crosslinking conditions. This finding can be applied to investigations of two-dimensional cell-material interactions of advanced alginate-based materials, e.g., when coupled with peptides.

Effect of Glutaraldehyde Crosslinking Parameters on Mechanical and Wetting Properties of PVA/NaAlg Electrospun Mat

Electrospun alginate-based materials are used in a wide range of applications, including wound dressings, tissue engineering, batteries, water treatment, bioremediation, and food packaging. However, they have low resistance to water. Crosslinking is usually used to enhance the mechanical properties of water-soluble polymers. Process parameters also play a key role in the crosslinking process. In this study, materials from sodium alginate (NaAlg) and poly (vinyl alcohol) (PVA) were prepared using the electrospinning method. To investigate the effect of the process parameters on the mechanical properties of the materials, different concentrations (1.25, 2.5 and 5 v %) and different application times (10 min, 60 min and 24 h) of the crosslinking agent were used. The wettability and mechanical properties of the electrospun mats were evaluated using a water contact angle device and a tensile strength tester, respectively. The maximum tensile strength was measured at 7 MPa which is the sample treated at 5% glutaraldehyde (GA) concentration and 60 min of application time. The sample treated with 2.5% GA concentration and 60 min of treatment time had the highest measured elongation of 11.5%. The sample treated with 2.5% GA concentration and for 10 min had the lowest water contact angle, which was measured at 27.5°. The intended usage of the materials should be considered, as the concentration of the crosslinking process and duration might affect the water-soluble polymers' mechanical and wetting properties.

From Biomedical Applications of Alginate towards CVD Implications Linked to COVID-19.

In the past year, researchers have focused their attention on developing new strategies for understanding how the coronavirus affects human health and developing novel biomaterials to help patients with cardiovascular disease, which greatly increases the risk of complications from the virus. Natural biopolymers have been investigated, and it has been proven that alginate-based materials have important features. This review presents an overview of alginate-based materials used for developing innovative biomaterial platforms for biomedical applications to mitigate the effects of the coronavirus. As presented in this review, COVID-19 affects the cardiovascular system, not only the lungs. The first part of the review presents an introduction to cardiovascular diseases and describes how they have become an important problem worldwide. In the second part of the review, the origin and unique properties of the alginate biopolymer are presented. Among the properties of alginate, the most important are its biocompatibility, biodegradability, low cost, nontoxicity, unique structure, and interesting features after chemical modification. The third section of the review illustrates some of the functions of alginate in biomedical, pharmaceutical, and drug delivery applications. Researchers are using alginate to develop new devices and materials for repairing heart tissues that have been damaged by the coronavirus. Further, insights regarding how cardiovascular disease affects COVID-19 patients are also discussed. Finally, we conclude the review by presenting a summary of the impacts of COVID-19 on cardiovascular patients, their implications, and several hypothetical alginate-based treatments for infected patients.

Acid-catalyzed in-situ cross-linking of polyol on sodium alginate to improve its strength and hydrophobic properties

To simultaneously improve the strength and hydrophobicity of alginate-based fibers, a new wet spinning strategy for preparing alginate ester fibers (AE) based on esterification reaction with polyols as in-situ crosslinking agents through acid catalysis is proposed. The esterification was confirmed by FTIR and NMR. XRD analysis showed that the crystallinity of AE fiber increased by 235%. The test results of mechanical properties showed that the modulus has seen an increase of 41.18% and strength an increase of 78.4%. Interestingly, the contact angle was found to increase from 54.6° to 121.9°. Moreover, the influences of polyol types (Ethylene glycol, Glycerol, Pentaerythritol) on the properties of AE fiber are also investigated, the types of polyol have obvious influences on the mechanical properties, crystallinity, and hydrophobicity in AE fibers. These results indicate that this strategy provides a broad application space for alginate-based materials.

Alginate-Based Smart Materials and Their Application: Recent Advances and Perspectives.

Nature produces materials using available molecular building blocks following a bottom-up approach. These materials are formed with great precision and flexibility in a controlled manner. This approach offers the inspiration for manufacturing new artificial materials and devices. Synthetic artificial materials can find many important applications ranging from personalized therapeutics to solutions for environmental problems. Among these materials, responsive synthetic materials are capable of changing their structure and/or properties in response to external stimuli, and hence are termed "smart" materials. Herein, this review focuses on alginate-based smart materials and their stimuli-responsive preparation, fragmentation, and applications in diverse fields from drug delivery and tissue engineering to water purification and environmental remediation. In the first part of this report, we review stimuli-induced preparation of alginate-based materials. Stimuli-triggered decomposition of alginate materials in a controlled fashion is documented in the second part, followed by the application of smart alginate materials in diverse fields. Because of their biocompatibility, easy accessibility, and simple techniques of material formation, alginates can provide solutions for several present and future problems of humankind. However, new research is needed for novel alginate-based materials with new functionalities and well-defined properties for targeted applications.