SPIRULINA-LOADED CHITOSAN-BASED COMPOSITE SPONGES FOR WOUND DRESSING – A REVIEW

Hemadharshini Arumugam, Nandhini Gopalakrishnan, Suganthi Ramasamy*

Wound healing is a complex biological process involving hemostasis, inflammation, proliferation, and tissue remodeling. Impairment of these coordinated events, particularly in chronic, diabetic, infected, and highly exudative wounds, can result in prolonged inflammation, excessive oxidative stress, microbial colonization, and delayed tissue regeneration. Consequently, considerable attention has been directed toward multifunctional wound dressings capable of simultaneously controlling bleeding, managing exudate, reducing microbial burden, and promoting tissue repair. Chitosan-based porous sponges are promising wound-dressing materials because of their biocompatibility, biodegradability, intrinsic hemostatic activity, antimicrobial properties, and high fluid-absorption capacity. The incorporation of natural bioactive compounds can further enhance their therapeutic potential. Spirulina, commercially associated primarily with Arthrospira platensis, is a valuable source of proteins, phycobiliproteins, carotenoids, phenolic compounds, vitamins, minerals, and essential fatty acids. Among its bioactive constituents, C-phycocyanin has attracted particular attention because of its antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, antibacterial, and wound-regenerative activities. Experimental evidence indicates that C-phycocyanin can promote fibroblast proliferation and migration, reduce oxidative stress, and support tissue repair. Importantly, porous chitosan sponges loaded with C-phycocyanin have demonstrated high encapsulation efficiency and controlled release, providing direct evidence for the feasibility of combining Spirulina-derived bioactives with chitosan sponge matrices. Recent studies have further demonstrated the potential of Spirulina protein–chitosan-based biomaterials for infected wound healing. This review summarizes the biological requirements of an ideal wound dressing, the physicochemical and biological characteristics of chitosan, the wound-healing potential of Spirulina-derived compounds, and the rationale for their incorporation into porous composite sponges. Fabrication strategies, structure–property relationships, therapeutic mechanisms, characterization methods, current limitations, and future research opportunities are critically discussed. The available evidence suggests that Spirulina-derived bioactives incorporated into chitosan-based porous sponges represent a promising platform for next-generation multifunctional wound dressings. However, systematic studies using standardized whole-Spirulina extracts or purified bioactive fractions, together with comprehensive in vitro, in vivo, and clinical validation, remain essential for successful translation.