The increment in water pollution due to the massive development in the industrial sector is a worldwide concern due to its impact on the environment and human health. Therefore, the development of new and sustainable alternatives for water remediation is needed. In this context, aerogels present high porosity, low density, and a remarkable adsorption capacity, making them candidates for remediation applications demonstrating high efficiency in removing pollutants from the air, soil, and water. Specifically, polymer-based aerogels could be modified in their high surface area to integrate functional groups, decrease their hydrophilicity, or increase their lipophilicity, among other variations, expanding and enhancing their efficiency as adsorbents for the removal of various pollutants in water. The aerogels based on natural polymers such as cellulose, chitosan, or alginate processed by different techniques presented high adsorption capacities, efficacy in oil/water separation and dye removal, and excellent recyclability after several cycles. Although there are different reviews based on aerogels, this work gives an overview of just the natural biopolymers employed to elaborate aerogels as an eco-friendly and renewable alternative. In addition, here we show the synthesis methods and applications in water cleaning from pollutants such as dyes, oil, and pharmaceuticals, providing novel information for the future development of biopolymeric-based aerogel.

In the last thirty years, tissue engineering (TI) has emerged as an alternative method to regenerate tissues and organs and restore their function by implanting specific lineage cells, growth factors, or biomolecules functionalizing a matrix scaffold. Recently, several pathologies have led to bone loss or damage, such as malformations, bone resorption associated with benign or malignant tumors, periodontal disease, traumas, and others in which a discontinuity in tissue integrity is observed. Bone tissue is characterized by different stiffness, mechanical traction, and compression resistance as a function of the different compartments, which can influence susceptibility to injury or destruction. For this reason, research into repairing bone defects began several years ago to find a scaffold to improve bone regeneration. Different techniques can be used to manufacture 3D scaffolds for bone tissue regeneration based on optimizing reproducible scaffolds with a controlled hierarchical porous structure like the extracellular matrix of bone. Additionally, the scaffolds synthesized can facilitate the inclusion of bone or mesenchymal stem cells with growth factors that improve bone osteogenesis, recruiting new cells for the neighborhood to generate an optimal environment for tissue regeneration. In this review, current state-of-the-art scaffold manufacturing based on the use of polycaprolactone (PCL) as a biomaterial for bone tissue regeneration will be described by reporting relevant studies focusing on processing techniques, from traditional—i.e., freeze casting, thermally induced phase separation, gas foaming, solvent casting, and particle leaching—to more recent approaches, such as 3D additive manufacturing (i.e., 3D printing/bioprinting, electrofluid dynamics/electrospinning), as well as integrated techniques. As a function of the used technique, this work aims to offer a comprehensive overview of the benefits/limitations of PCL-based scaffolds in order to establish a relationship between scaffold composition, namely integration of other biomaterial phases’ structural properties (i.e., pore morphology and mechanical properties) and in vivo response.

Mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) hold significant potential in regenerative medicine, tissue engineering, and cultivated meat production. However, large-scale MSC production is limited by their need for surface adherence during growth. This study evaluates two biocompatible materials—collagen-coated alginate microcarriers and polylactic-co-glycolic acid (PLGA) nanofibers—as novel growth substrates to enhance MSC proliferation. Physicochemical characterization confirmed successful collagen integration on both materials. In vitro, bone marrow-derived MSCs (bmMSCs) cultured on collagen-coated alginate microcarriers exhibited significantly enhanced growth compared to commercial microcarriers, while PLGA nanofibers supported bmMSC growth comparable to traditional growth surfaces. Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM) revealed that bmMSCs adhered not only to the surface but also grew within the porous structure of the alginate microcarriers. Mycoplasma testing confirmed that the bmMSCs were free from contamination. Both materials were assessed for biocompatibility using ISO-10993 guidelines, demonstrating no skin or ocular irritation, supporting their potential for in situ applications in clinical and therapeutic settings. This study highlights the promise of collagen-coated alginate microcarriers and PLGA nanofibers for scalable MSC production, offering efficient, biocompatible alternatives to traditional growth surfaces in regenerative medicine and cultivated meat manufacturing. Future research should focus on optimizing these materials for larger-scale production and exploring specific applications in therapeutic and food sectors.

This study investigates the extraction and characterisation of collagen derived from fish skin and scales, the collagens obtained were used to produce membranes which were subsequently cross-linked by EDC/NHS. A comprehensive investigation of their microstructure, composition, mechanical properties, swelling, degradation, thermal properties and a 24 h cell viability test was carried out. The results showed that the yields of collagen from skin and fish scales were 25.14 ± 2.90 and 29.26 ± 2.53%, respectively. Mechanical stress tests showed that membranes made from fish skin collagen and commercial collagen had comparable load-bearing capacities before failure. The Young’s modulus of the membranes was 9.45 MPa ± 1.77 for commercial collagen, 5.76 MPa ± 0.74 for fish skin collagen and 2.43 MPa ± 0.78 for fish scale collagen, this similarity was maintained in degradation tests and at denaturation temperature (75 °C).These results demonstrate the viability of collagen derived from marine by-products as an effective and efficient alternative for biomedical and tissue engineering applications.

Growing environmental concerns associated with conventional plastics have led to an increasing demand for sustainable alternatives. This study reports on the development of a biocomposite material derived from two commonly available waste products: fish scales and orange peels. The resulting bioplastics were characterized in terms of their physicochemical, mechanical, and thermal properties, as well as how these properties varied under accelerated aging. It was found that the non‐crosslinked films exhibited a greater decrease in Young's modulus of more than 50%. The wettability of the bioplastics increased due to the degradation of the films, resulting in water absorption increasing by up to 300% for Ma films and by up to 200% for Mb and Mc films. These results demonstrate that combining fish scales and orange peels produces a biodegradable composite with improved mechanical strength, albeit reduced durability under abiotic degradation. This approach provides a sustainable alternative to conventional plastics and contributes to the valorization of agricultural and marine waste.