Polysaccharide‐Based Hydrogel Composites With Organic and Inorganic Fillers: Recent Advances in Reinforcement, Functional Properties, and Selected Applications

Sustainable biomaterials have gained considerable attention because of their biodegradability, biocompatibility, and potential to be tailored for application-specific design. Among these materials, polysaccharide-based hydrogel composites are promising candidates for use across a range of functional applications. This focused review discusses recent progress in polysaccharide-based hydrogel composites reinforced with inorganic and organic fillers to tune and improve their structural, physicochemical, and functional performance. It addresses this gap by systematically examining the role of polysaccharide matrices, fillers, cross-linking approaches, properties, classification, characterization, and types of hydrogel composites, with a focus on selected multisectoral applications. Recent studies have demonstrated the potential of these hydrogel composites in water remediation and biomedical applications. For example, methylene blue removal efficiency of up to 98.87% and pH-responsive sulfasalazine drug release of 77.6% under simulated colonic conditions have been reported. The swelling ratio was found to be around 6000 SR% in the GO/CMTKG/PSA hydrogel composite. The crystal violet adsorption capacity of GO/CMTKG/PAM was found to be 111 mg/g. Overall, this review highlights selected applications in water remediation, biomedicine, agriculture, energy, and industry, emphasizing how filler selection and hydrogel network design govern application-specific performance. It also outlines key challenges and provides a roadmap for developing sustainable, high-performance polysaccharide-based hydrogel composites.