Application of Spectroscopic Methods for Structural Analysis of Chitin and Chitosan

Abstract

Chitin, the second most important natural polymer in the world, and its N-deacetylated derivative chitosan, have been identified as versatile biopolymers for a broad range of applications in medicine, agriculture and the food industry. Two of the main reasons for this are firstly the unique chemical, physicochemical and biological properties of chitin and chitosan, and secondly the unlimited supply of raw materials for their production. These polymers exhibit widely differing physicochemical properties depending on the chitin source and the conditions of chitosan production. The presence of reactive functional groups as well as the polysaccharide nature of these biopolymers enables them to undergo diverse chemical modifications. A complete chemical and physicochemical characterization of chitin, chitosan and their derivatives is not possible without using spectroscopic techniques. This review focuses on the application of spectroscopic methods for the structural analysis of these compounds.

Biofilm formation by zygomycetes: quantification, structure and matrix composition

“…pusillus biofilms, respectively. These results suggest the presence of the chitin-derivative chitosan, a partially acetylated b-1,4-linked GlcN polymer, which is usually soluble in water at a high degree of deacetylation (Kumirska et al, 2010). In contrast to other fungi, chitin and chitosan constitute a major component of the cell wall in zygomycetes (BartnickiGarcia, 1968).…”

“…Glucose was quantified in the water-soluble fraction after acid hydrolysis by using a glucose oxidase kit (Sigma-Aldrich) according to the manufacturer's instructions. The presence of amino sugars in the water-soluble fraction was detected by UV spectroscopy (Kumirska et al, 2010). Briefly, the UV absorption of the fractions was scanned over 190-350 nm in 1 nm step increments.…”

“…The TCA-soluble EPS fraction was processed for the detection of chitin, a b-1,4-linked GlcNAc polymer insoluble in water and many acids (Kumirska et al, 2010), and its monomer GlcNAc was quantified by ELLA. The concentration of GlcNAc in the TCA-soluble fraction of Rhp.…”

The Chitosan as Dietary Fiber: An in vitro Comparative Study of Interactions with Drug and Nutritional Substances

“…Much research has been conducted on the dietary supplements that promote the reduction of body weight and fat mass (Saper et al, 2004). These ingredients reportedly act as a fiber to increase satiety and also to decrease the absorption of fat by binding to it (Kumirska et al, 2010).…”

“…Chemically speaking, chitosan ( Figure 1) is a linear polysaccharide of 1→4)-linked-2-amino-2-deoxy-D-glucopyranose obtained by deacetylation of chitin, the main component of the exoskeleton of insects and crustaceans (Kumirska et al, 2010). It has many important properties, such as non-toxicity, biocompatibility, biodegradability, antimicrobial activity, chemical reactivity (Cummings et al, 2010), industrial applications (Hennen, 2005), as well as carrier for body fat (Ni Mhurchu et al, 2004;Ni Mhurchu et al, 2005;Jull et al, 2008;Lois & Kumar, 2008), cholesterol and triglyceride (Razdan & Petterson, 1994;Liu et al, 2008;Zhang et al, 2008).…”