Determination of the Mark-Houwink equation for chitosans with different degrees of deacetylation

Green synthesis approach: extraction of chitosan from fungus mycelia

Chitosan, copolymer of glucosamine and N-acetyl glucosamine is mainly derived from chitin, which is present in cell walls of crustaceans and some other microorganisms, such as fungi. Chitosan is emerging as an important biopolymer having a broad range of applications in different fields. On a commercial scale, chitosan is mainly obtained from crustacean shells rather than from the fungal sources. The methods used for extraction of chitosan are laden with many disadvantages. Alternative options of producing chitosan from fungal biomass exist, in fact with superior physico-chemical properties. Researchers around the globe are attempting to commercialize chitosan production and extraction from fungal sources. Chitosan extracted from fungal sources has the potential to completely replace crustacean-derived chitosan. In this context, the present review discusses the potential of fungal biomass resulting from various biotechnological industries or grown on negative/low cost agricultural and industrial wastes and their by-products as an inexpensive source of chitosan. Biologically derived fungal chitosan offers promising advantages over the chitosan obtained from crustacean shells with respect to different physico-chemical attributes. The different aspects of fungal chitosan extraction methods and various parameters having an effect on the yield of chitosan are discussed in detail. This review also deals with essential attributes of chitosan for high value-added applications in different fields.

The interaction of chitosan and olive oil: effects of degree of deacetylation and degree of polymerization

The combined effects of degree of deacetylation (DD) and degree of polymerization (DP) on the ability of chitosan to interact with olive oil was studied. The oil-binding test, a method that makes use of olive oil as a representative fat, was adopted as a measure of the interaction of chitosan and olive oil. The oil-binding capacities of twelve chitosan samples with DPs ranging from 470 to 1450 and DDs of 75% to 95% were determined. The oil-binding capacities were then correlated to the DD and DP using partial least squares (PLS) regression. The generated PLS model had a root mean square error of prediction (RMSEP) of 9.1%. Results indicated that oil-binding capacity is a function of DD more than of DP. For chitosan with DD at the interval 50%<DD<90%, a negatively sloped linear correlation was obtained for DD and oil-binding capacity suggesting that hydrophobic intermolecular forces of attraction dominates the interaction of chitosan with olive oil. For chitosan with DD>90%, the observed deviation from the linear correlation increased. In this interval, free fatty acid anions facilitate the interaction of chitosan and olive oil. Free fatty acids form a stable ionic interaction with the former and a strong hydrophobic interaction with the latter.

Pemanfaatan Kitosan Termodifikasi Asam Askorbat sebagai Adsorben Ion Logam Besi(III) dan Kromium(III)

Penelitian pemanfaatan kitosan termodifikasi asam askorbat sebagai adsorben ion logam berat, yaitu besi (III) dan kromium (III) telah dilakukan. Tujuan penelitian ini adalah memperoleh kitosan termodifikasi asam askorbat, menentukan pH optimum adsorpsi ion Fe(III) dan Cr(III) oleh kitosan termodifikasi asam askorbat dengan variasi pH adsorpsi, serta menentukan kapasitas adsorpsi maksimum kitosan termodifikasi asam askorbat terhadap ion logam Fe(III) dan Cr(III). Derajat deasetilasi kitosan diperoleh menggunakan FTIR. Berat molekul kitosan dihitung menggunakan persamaan Mark-Houwink. Uji kelarutan kitosan dilakukan menggunakan CH3COOH, HNO3 dan HCl. Morfologi permukaan kitosan dikarakterisasi dengan SEM. Adsorpsi ion logam Fe (III) dan Cr (III) dilakukan dalam larutan pH 2-6 dengan melakukan variasi konsentrasi ion logam adalah 50; 100; 150; 200 dan 250 ppm. Ion logam Fe(III) dan Cr (III) yang tidak terserap dianalisis dengan SSA. Penentuan kapasitas adsorpsi maksimum dilakukan dengan menggunakan persamaan isotherm Langmuir. Dari data penelitian diperoleh derajat deasetilasi kitosan adalah 64,74% dan berat molekul sebesar 39966,85 g/mol. Hasil uji kelarutan terhadap kitosan termodifikasi asam askorbat menggunakan asam-asam encer seperti CH3COOH, HNO3 dan HCl menunjukkan kitosan termodifikasi asam askorbat relatif tidak larut terhadap asam-asam encer dibandingkan dengan kitosan beads. Morfologi permukaan kitosan termodifikasi asam askorbat menunjukkan adanya pori yang menyebar dan tidak beraturan. pH optimum adsorpsi untuk ion logam Fe(III) pada pH 4 dan ion logam Cr(III) pada pH 3. Kapasitas adsorpsi maksimum Fe(III) sebesar 12,658 mg/g dan 13,157 mg/g untuk logam Cr(III)

Plasma depolymerization of chitosan in the presence of hydrogen peroxide

The depolymerization of chitosan by plasma in the presence of hydrogen peroxide (H₂O₂) was investigated. The efficiency of the depolymerization was demonstrated by means of determination of viscosity-average molecular weight and gel permeation chromatography (GPC). The structure of the depolymerized chitosan was characterized by Fourier-transform infrared spectra (FT-IR), ultraviolet spectra (UV) and X-ray diffraction (XRD). The results showed that chitosan can be effectively degradated by plasma in the presence of H₂O₂. The chemical structure of the depolymerized chitosan was not obviously modified. The combined plasma/H₂O₂ method is significantly efficient for scale-up manufacturing of low molecular weight chitosan.

Polyelectrolyte complex of carboxymethyl starch and chitosan as protein carrier: oral administration of ovalbumin

A novel carboxymethyl starch (CMS)/chitosan polyelectrolyte complex (PEC) was proposed as an excipient for oral administration of ovalbumin. The dissolution of ovalbumin from monolithic tablets (200 mg, 2.1 × 9.6 mm, 50% loading) obtained by direct compression was studied. When CMS was used as an excipient, more than 70% of the loaded ovalbumin remained undigested after 1 h of incubation in simulated gastric fluid (SGF) with pepsin. The complete dissolution, after transfer of tablets into simulated intestinal fluid (SIF) with pancreatin, occurred within a total time of about 6 h. Higher protection (more than 90% stability in SGF) and longer dissolution (more than 13 h) were obtained with 50% CMS/50% chitosan physical mixture or with PEC excipients. A lower proportion of chitosan was needed for PEC than for the CMS/chitosan mixture to obtain a similar dissolution profile. The high protection against digestion by pepsin, the various release times and the mucoadhesion properties of these excipients based on CMS favor the development of suitable carriers for oral vaccinations.

Preparation and antibacterial test of chitosan/PAA/PEGDA bi-layer composite membranes

Chitosan/poly(acrylic acid)/poly(ethylene glycol) diacrylate (PEGDA) composite membranes with a bi-layer configuration were prepared and their potential application as an antibacterial material was examined. A two-step process was adopted. A dope consisting of PEGDA, acrylic acid (AA) and a photoinitiator was cast and then UV-cured on a glass substrate to form a mechanically strong, dense membrane. Subsequently, the membrane was coated with a layer of solution composed of chitosan, AA and water. As the majority of AA diffused downwards into the supporting layer underneath, chitosan coagulated with residual AA to form a nano-layer on the top surface by means of UV irradiation. Low-voltage field-emission scanning electron microscopy was used to observe the membrane morphology and to measure the thickness of the top layer. Contact angle measurements indicated a top layer mixed with chitosan and poly(acrylic acid), which was confirmed by chemical composition analysis of X-ray photon spectroscopy. The antibacterial activities of the formed membranes were tested both with respect to a Gram-negative (Escherichia coli) and a Gram-positive (Staphylococcus aureus) bacteria.

N-trimethyl chitosan nanoparticle-encapsulated lactosyl-norcantharidin for liver cancer therapy with high targeting efficacy

N-Trimethyl chitosan (TMC) was synthesized and used to prepare lactosyl-norcantharidin TMC nanoparticles (Lac-NCTD-TMC-NPs) using an ionic cross-linkage process. Lac-NCTD-TMC-NPs with an average particle size of 120.6 ± 1.7 nm were obtained, with an entrapment efficiency of 69.29% ± 0.76%, and a drug-loading amount of 9.1% ± 0.07%. The release of Lac-NCTD-TMC-NPs in vitro was investigated through a dialysis method, and its sustained effect was evident. In the human liver cancer cell line HepG2, the half-maximum inhibiting concentration (IC(50)) of TMC-encapsulated Lac-NCTD (Lac-NCTD-TMC-NPs) was only 24.2% that of free Lac-NCTD at 24 hours. Lac-NCTD induced HepG2 cell death by triggering apoptosis. In vitro cellular uptake and in vivo NIR fluorescence real-time imaging both indicated a high targeting efficacy. In comparison with Lac-NCTD and Lac-NCTD chitosan NPs (Lac-NCTD-CS-NPs ), Lac-NCTD-TMC-NPs had the strongest antitumor activity on the murine hepatocarcinoma 22 subcutaneous model.

FROM THE CLINICAL EDITOR

In this article the preparation of N-trimethyl chitosan-encapsulated lactosyl-norcantharidin nanoparticles is described that displayed efficient targeting and sustained release in a hepatocarcinoma SC murine model.

A Biopolymer Chitosan and Its Derivatives as Promising Antimicrobial Agents against Plant Pathogens and Their Applications in Crop Protection

Recently, much attention has been paid to chitosan as a potential polysaccharide resource. Although several efforts have been reported to prepare functional derivatives of chitosan by chemical modifications, few attained their antimicrobial activity against plant pathogens. The present paper aims to present an overview of the antimicrobial effects, mechanisms, and applications of a biopolymer chitosan and its derivatives in crop protection. In addition, this paper takes a closer look at the physiochemical properties and chemical modifications of chitosan molecule. The recent growth in this field and the latest research papers published will be introduced and discussed.

Ultrasonic-Assisted Preparation, Characterization and Antibacterial Activity of β-Chitosan from Squid Pens

β-chitosan preparation from squid pens was carried out using aqueous NaOH with the ultrasonic assistance. Single factor experiments and L9(34) orthogonal experiments were used to investigate the effect of three parameters (reaction time, concentration of NaOH and reaction temperature) on deacetylation of β-chitin. The optimal conditions for deacetylation of chitin were reaction temperature 80°C, reaction time 2 h and concentration of NaOH 50%. The optimal conditions allowed deacetylation degree of β-chitin from 71.32% to 92.91%. The β-chitosan from squid pens was confirmed by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy. The antibacterial activities of the prepared β-chitosans againstaphylococcus aureus(S. aureus) andEscherchia coli(E.coli) were then determined and compared by the MIC (minimum inhibitory concentration). Results indicate that β-chitosans with different degrees of deacetylation (DD) possess different antibacterial activity. The growth ofS. aureuscan be easily inhibited by prepared β-chitosan thanE.coli.

Sonolytic, sonocatalytic and sonophotocatalytic degradation of chitosan in the presence of TiO2 nanoparticles

The degradation of chitosan by means of ultrasound irradiation and its combination with heterogeneous (TiO(2)) was investigated. Emphasis was given on the effect of additives on degradation rate constants. Ultrasound irradiation (24 kHz) was provided by a sonicator, while an ultraviolet source of 16 W was used for UV irradiation. The extent of sonolytic degradation increased with increasing ultrasound power (in the range 30-90 W), while the presence of TiO(2) in the dark generally had little effect on degradation. On the other hand, TiO(2) sono-photocatalysis led to complete chitosan degradation in 60 min with increasing catalyst loading. TiO(2) sonophotocatalysis was always faster than the respective individual processes due to the enhanced formation of reactive radicals as well as the possible ultrasound-induced increase of the active surface area of the catalyst. The degraded chitosans were characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD), gel permeation chromatography (GPC) and Fourier transform infrared (FT-IR) spectroscopy and average molecular weight of ultrasonicated chitosan was determined by measurements of relative viscosity of samples. The results show that the total degree of deacetylation (DD) of chitosan did not change after degradation and the decrease of molecular weight led to transformation of crystal structure. A negative order for the dependence of the reaction rate on total molar concentration of chitosan solution within the degradation process was suggested.

Dynamics of chitosan by (1)h NMR relaxation

The dynamics of chitosan (CS) in solution have been studied by (1)H NMR relaxation [longitudinal (T(1)) and transverse (T(2)) relaxation times and NOE] as a function of the degrees of acetylation (DA, 1-70) and polymerization (DP, 10-1200), temperature (278-343 K), concentration (0.1-30 g/L), and ionic strength (50-400 mM). This analysis points to CS as a semirigid polymer with increased flexibility at higher DA in agreement with reduced electrostatic repulsions between protonated amino groups.

Development and in vitro characterization of galactosylated low molecular weight chitosan nanoparticles bearing doxorubicin

The aim of the present research was to evaluate the potential of galactosylated low molecular weight chitosan (Gal-LMWC) nanoparticles bearing positively charged anticancer, doxorubicin (DOX) for hepatocyte targeting. The chitosan from crab shell was depolymerized, and the lactobionic acid was coupled with LMWC using carbodiimide chemistry. The depolymerized and galactosylated polymers were characterized. Two types of Gal-LMWC(s) with variable degree of substitution were employed to prepare the nanoparticles using ionotropic gelation with pentasodium tripolyphosphate anions. Factors affecting nanoparticles formation were discussed. The nanoparticles were characterized by transmission electron microscopy and photon correlation spectroscopy and found to be spherical in the size range 106-320 nm. Relatively higher percent DOX entrapment was obtained for Gal-LMWC(s) nanoparticles than for LMWC nanoparticles. A further increase in drug entrapment was found with nanoparticles prepared by Gal-LMWC with higher degree of substitution. A hypothesis which correlates the ionic concentration of DOX in nanoparticles preparation medium and percent DOX entrapment in cationic polymer has been proposed to explain the enhanced DOX entrapment. In-vitro drug release study demonstrated an initial burst release followed by a sustained release. The targeting potential of the prepared nanoparticles was assessed by in vitro cytotoxicity study using the human hepatocellular carcinoma cell line (HepG(2)) expressing the ASGP receptors on their surfaces. The enthusiastic results showed the feasibility of Gal-LMWC(s) to entrap the cationic DOX and targeting potential of developed Gal-LMWC(s) nanoparticles to HepG(2) cell line.

Trimethyl chitosan and its applications in drug delivery

Chitosan, a polymer obtained by deacetylation of chitin is widely studied for its pharmaceutical and nonpharmaceutical applications. Recommendations about uses of this polymer although could not be always realized due to limited solubility. Chitosan, for example, has been extensively evaluated for its mucoadhesive and absorption enhancement properties. The positive charge on the chitosan molecule gained by acidic environment in which it is soluble seems to be important for absorption enhancement. However chitosan is not soluble in medium except below pH 5.6. This limits its use as permeation enhancer in body compartments where pH is high. In this regard there is a need for chitosan derivatives with increased solubility, especially at neutral and basic pH values. Trimethylation of chitosan is an effort in this direction. Despite the abundance of the research related to trimethyl chitosan (TMC), the overview of the topic is not available. Hence an attempt is made in this review to cover the recent findings pertaining to synthesis, characterization and applications of TMC especially in pharmaceutical field. TMC has been synthesized by different ways and characterized by FTIR, NMR, DSC etc. This quaternized derivative of chitosan possesses a positive charge and is soluble over a wide range of pH. TMC, being a derivative of cationic polymer enriched with positive charge shows better mucoadhesive, permeation enhancement, drug delivery and DNA delivery properties. TMC can be further derivitized or grafted for modulating properties as solubility, cytotoxicity or cell recognition ability. Apart from these applications, TMC itself and its derivatives exhibit antimicrobial properties also. Quaternization of chitosan not only with methyl group but higher group as ethyl or along with spacer or quaternization of modified chitosan can be of interest too.

Chitosan topical gel formulation in the management of burn wounds

Wound healing properties of chitosan with different molecular weight and degree of deacetylation ranges have been examined. The macroscopic image and histopathology were examined using chitosan, Fucidin ointment and to blank. The rate of contraction was evaluated by determination of the unclosed area as a function of time. The treated wounds were found to contract at the highest rate with high molecular weight-high degree of deacetylation chitosan-treated rats as compared to untreated, treated, and Fucidin ointment-treated rats. Wounds treated with high molecular weight chitosan had significantly more epithelial tissue (p<0.05) than wounds with any other treatment and the best re-epithelization and fastest wounds closure were found with the high molecular weight chitosan treatment group. Histological examination and collagenase activity studies revealed advanced granulation tissue formation and epithelialization in wounds treated with high molecular weight chitosan (p<0.05). High molecular weight with high degree of deacetylation chitosan samples therefore demonstrates potential for use as a treatment system for dermal burns.

Various methods for determination of the degree of N-acetylation of chitin and chitosan: a review

Chitin, chitosan, and their derivatives have been identified as versatile biopolymers for a broad range of agriculture and food applications. Up to now, several methods have been developed to determine degree of N-acetylation, DA, for chitin and chitosan. In this article, an effort has been made to review the available literature information on the DA determination. These methods are classified into three categories: (1) spectroscopy (IR, (1)H NMR, (13)C NMR, (15)N NMR, and UV); (2) conventional (various types of titration, conductometry, potentiometry, ninhydrin assay, adsorption of free amino groups of chitosan by pictric acid); (3) destructive (elemental analysis, acid or enzymatic hydrolysis of chitin/chitosan and followed by the DA measurement by colorimetry or high performance liquid chromatography, pyrolysis-gas chromatography, and thermal analysis using differential scanning calorimetry) methods. These methods have been compared for their performances and limitations as well as their advantages and disadvantages. The use of IR and NMR spectroscopy methods provides a number of advantages. They do not need long-term procedures to prepare samples, and they provide information on the chemical structure. (1)H NMR and UV techniques are more sensitive than IR, (13)C NMR, and (15)N NMR spectroscopy. The IR technique is mostly used for a qualitative evaluation and comparison studies. Conventional methods are not applicable for highly acetylated chitin. The results of the latter methods are affected by ionic strength of the solvent, pH, and temperature of solution. In destructive methods, longer times are needed for the measurements compared to spectroscopy and conventional methods, but they are applicable for the entire range of the DA.