Chitosan: An Overview of Its Properties and Applications

Abstract

Chitosan has garnered much interest due to its properties and possible applications. Every year the number of publications and patents based on this polymer increase. Chitosan exhibits poor solubility in neutral and basic media, limiting its use in such conditions. Another serious obstacle is directly related to its natural origin. Chitosan is not a single polymer with a defined structure but a family of molecules with differences in their composition, size, and monomer distribution. These properties have a fundamental effect on the biological and technological performance of the polymer. Moreover, some of the biological properties claimed are discrete. In this review, we discuss how chitosan chemistry can solve the problems related to its poor solubility and can boost the polymer properties. We focus on some of the main biological properties of chitosan and the relationship with the physicochemical properties of the polymer. Then, we review two polymer applications related to green processes: the use of chitosan in the green synthesis of metallic nanoparticles and its use as support for biocatalysts. Finally, we briefly describe how making use of the technological properties of chitosan makes it possible to develop a variety of systems for drug delivery.

Monomers and Macromolecular Materials from Renewable Resources: State of the Art and Perspectives

“…Chitosan finds applications in pharmaceutics, biomedicine, packaging, wastewater treatment, cosmetics, food science, among others [ 6 , 57 , 58 ]. A comprehensive review of Acosta and coworkers was recently issued [ 59 ], and detailed information on the technological properties (such as solubility and viscosity), chemistry, and biological activities (such as antimicrobial, antioxidant, and anti-inflammatory activities) of chitosans are available. The authors additionally reviewed the use of chitosans in the green synthesis of metallic nanoparticles, as support for biocatalysts, and as versatile materials that can be exploited for the design of novel drug delivery systems.…”

Formulation and Evaluation of Chitosan/NaCl/Maltodextrin Microparticles as a Saltiness Enhancer: Study on the Optimization of Excipients for the Spray-Drying Process

“…It can be isolated and fabricated from bio-resources, including the exoskeletons of crustaceans, insects, mollusks, and fungi [15,16]. It attracts extensive attention in the biomedical field owing to its remarkable biological functions [17], and recently, the exploration of chitosan applications in food has expanded significantly [18]. Previously, we found that chitosan is capable of promoting the saltiness perception in food systems by incorporating the sodium chloride into microparticles to elevate the release of sodium ions [19,20].…”

Sustainable Design Approach for Modeling Bioprocesses from Laboratory toward Commercialization: Optimizing Chitosan Production

“…A good example of emerging bio-based technology is chitosan production. This material has gained a lot of attention mainly due to its properties and applications as a mucoadhesive, anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, and antifungal, among others [ 20 ]. Yu et al [ 21 ] described chitosan as a low-cost polymer with multiple physicochemical and biological properties for many applications in pharma, food, crop production, or biomedicine.…”