Biofunctionalization of Bacterial Cellulose with FucoPol Enhances Keratinocyte Activity and Wound Closure

Bacterial cellulose (BC), a renewable microbially produced biocompatible polymer, is widely studied as a wound dressing given its nanofibrillar structure, mechanical strength, and high water retention capacity. However, pristine BC is largely biologically inert and does not actively stimulate tissue regeneration, highlighting the need for its biofunctionalization. Effective wound care requires dressings that both protect the wound environment and actively promote healing, driving growing interest in advanced and affordable bioactive wound dressings. FucoPol (FP), a fucose-containing, polyanionic microbial polysaccharide with proven wound-healing, antioxidant, and photoprotective properties, offers an attractive strategy to impart bioactivity to BC. In this study, BC membranes were functionalized by impregnation with an FP solution, enabling efficient diffusion and loading of the bioactive polysaccharide. The resulting FP-functionalized membranes presented reduced crystallinity (CI = 47 vs 56%) and water-holding capacity (41 ± 2.1 vs 75 ± 0.9 g/g). However, they outperformed neat BC in biological properties; BC/FP membranes promoted keratinocyte proliferation and metabolic activity and accelerated wound closure (28.3 ± 7.5% at 24 h). Overall, FP-functionalized BC membranes emerge as promising materials for developing bioactive wound dressings with clear enhanced therapeutic potential, particularly for early-stage wound management.