Carboxymethyl kappa carrageenan polyelectrolyte multilayers as blood contacting surfaces

Evidence from laboratory and animal studies provides groundwork for understanding mechanisms and potential before human studies continue.

• Level A · Stronger Clinical Evidence
• Level B · Emerging clinical evidence with positive signals
• Level C · Early human research exploring benefits
• Level D · Scientific groundwork from lab and animal studies
• Emerging · Emerging topic under active research

Abstract (original English)

This research introduces carboxymethyl kappa-carrageenan-chitosan polyelectrolyte multilayers as a promising and sustainable alternative to heparin, used in surface treatments for blood-contacting medical devices. The polysaccharide-based surface coatings have good cytocompatibility and resist microbial adhesion of both Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Staphylococcus aureus. The blood compatibility of surfaces containing carboxymethyl-kappa-carrageenan was directly compared to similar polyelectrolyte multilayers containing heparin. The carboxymethyl-kappa-carrageenan surfaces inhibit whole-blood clotting like heparin-containing surfaces. Blood clotting is mediated by both protein-surface and cell-surface interactions. The carboxymethyl-kappa-carrageenan surfaces adsorb more fibrinogen and less albumin than the heparin surfaces, and they also exhibit reduced platelet and leukocyte adhesion, compared to heparin surfaces. These results suggest that carboxymethyl-kappa-carrageenan may represent a sustainable alternative to heparin as an anticoagulant surface modification. Supplementary information The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s44340-025-00043-w.

Evidence level

Evidence from laboratory and animal studies provides groundwork for understanding mechanisms and potential before human studies continue.

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