Surface soft patch-mediated supramolecular co-assembly of lysozyme/konjac glucomannan with optimized antimicrobial performance

Assembly is a natural process where molecules spontaneously form ordered structures with specific functions. In supramolecular co-assembly, interactions between surface soft patches drive structural changes, though this key aspect is often overlooked. In this study, we propose a strategy for supramolecular co-assembly mediated by surface soft patches and apply this approach to optimize the broad-spectrum antibacterial activity of lysozyme (LYS)-konjac glucomannan (KGM) supramolecular co-assembly. Surface charge distribution revealed distinct soft patches on LYS and KGM, with hydrogen bond and hydrophobic interactions between them driving supramolecular co-assembly. Characterized by a densely packed β-sheet structure, the supramolecular co-assembly exhibited excellent rheological properties and significantly enhanced antibacterial activity across a broad spectrum. Specifically, the antibacterial efficacy against Staphylococcus aureus exceeded 99.94 %, and that against Escherichia coli reached over 99.95 % in the Ca²⁺-KGM-LYS coacervate. This research sheds new light on supramolecular co-assembly mechanisms and paves the way for designing broad-spectrum antibacterial materials.