Nano–bio interfacial effects modulating protein adsorption in dialdehyde lentinan–Crosslinked polysaccharide sponges reinforced with zein nanoflowers

The interfacial organization of porous biomaterials critically influences protein adsorption and subsequent cell-material interactions at hydrated biointerfaces relevant to wound-contacting environments. Herein, hybrid sponges were developed by rationally assembling chitosan, lentinan, levan, and fucoidan into a covalently defined macromolecular network featuring nano-bio interfacial effects. The materials were designed to modulate interfacial biological performance via engineered pore-wall structures, with protein-layer formation at sponge interfaces associated with downstream cell-material responses. A dialdehyde lentinan was deliberately employed to establish a chemically defined pore-wall interface via dense Schiff-base junctions with chitosan. The incorporation of zein nanoflowers introduced additional nanoscale structure features, providing additional anchoring sites for phenolic metabolites derived from Sideritis scardica extracts and contributing to interfacial stabilization. Interfacial characterization revealed increased surface roughness and adhesion, resulting in a pronounced modulation of protein adsorption behavior, as suggested by preferential adsorption of human serum albumin over fibrinogen at the sponge interfaces. The formation of the initial protein layer was associated with enhanced fibroblast migration behavior in scratch assays, with accelerated closure of the cell-free area observed within approximately 100 h. The engineered pore-wall architecture was associated with improved mechanical resilience, tunable swelling behavior, and water vapor permeability, highlighting the role of interfacial design in shaping physicochemical and biological responses in porous systems. The materials exhibited antioxidant and anti-inflammatory activity, moderate antimicrobial effects, and excellent cytocompatibility, while retaining their interfacial functionality after accelerated aging under humid conditions.