Seas of Renewal: Turning Sea Urchin Waste into Polyhydroxynaphtoquinone-Collagen Biomaterials for Skin Regeneration

Abstract Chronic wounds and skin ulcers pose significant challenges to healthcare systems globally, necessitating innovative approaches to expedite healing processes. Biomaterial-based therapies have emerged as promising solutions for tissue regeneration. This study focuses on valorization of sea urchin waste towards the development and characterization of collagen-based scaffolds added with polyhydroxynaphthoquinones (PHNQs) antioxidants, successfully incorporated into biomaterials at optimal ratio, enhancing scaffold stability and integrity. Mechanical properties, water uptake, and degradation kinetics of the composite scaffolds were evaluated and compared with controls. Results indicate that composite scaffolds exhibit superior mechanical stability and slower degradation rates, attributed to strong interactions between collagen and PHNQs. This aspect was explored also through in silico investigations by means of Tight Binding Molecular Dynamics methods. It has been found that a covalent bond forms between the selected collagen representative and one PHNQ. Furthermore, the antioxidant activity of PHNQs was retained in the composite scaffolds, providing additional therapeutic benefits. Overall, these findings underscore the potential of collagen-based composite scaffolds as advanced wound healing therapeutics, combining regenerative properties with antioxidant effects for improved clinical outcomes.