“The Good, the Bad and the Ugly” of Chitosans
The objective of this paper is to emphasize the fact that while consistent interest has been paid to the industrial use of chitosan, minor attention has been devoted to spread the knowledge of a good characterization of its physico-chemical properties. Therefore, the paper attempts to critically com...
| Main Authors: | , , , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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MDPI AG
2016-05-01
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| Series: | Marine Drugs |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | http://www.mdpi.com/1660-3397/14/5/99 |
| _version_ | 1828155040953532416 |
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| author | Barbara Bellich Ilenia D’Agostino Sabrina Semeraro Amelia Gamini Attilio Cesàro |
| author_facet | Barbara Bellich Ilenia D’Agostino Sabrina Semeraro Amelia Gamini Attilio Cesàro |
| author_sort | Barbara Bellich |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | The objective of this paper is to emphasize the fact that while consistent interest has been paid to the industrial use of chitosan, minor attention has been devoted to spread the knowledge of a good characterization of its physico-chemical properties. Therefore, the paper attempts to critically comment on the conflicting experimental results, highlighting the facts, the myths and the controversies. The goal is to indicate how to take advantage of chitosan versatility, to learn how to manage its variability and show how to properly tackle some unexpected undesirable features. In the sections of the paper various issues that relate chitosan properties to some basic features and to advanced solutions and applications are presented. The introduction outlines some historical pioneering works, where the chemistry of chitosan was originally explored. Thereafter, particular reference is made to analytical purity, characterization and chain modifications. The macromolecular characterization is mostly related to molecular weight and to degree of acetylation, but also refers to the conformational and rheological properties and solution stability. Then, the antimicrobial activity of chitosan in relation with its solubility is reviewed. A section is dedicated to the formulation of chitosan biomaterials, from gel to nanobeads, exploring their innovative application as active carrier nanoparticles. Finally, the toxicity issue of chitosan as a polymer and as a constructed nanomaterial is briefly commented in the conclusions. |
| first_indexed | 2024-04-11T22:47:37Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-e84e09fcebea4f749de9abb788a4b8d6 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 1660-3397 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-04-11T22:47:37Z |
| publishDate | 2016-05-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Marine Drugs |
| spelling | doaj.art-e84e09fcebea4f749de9abb788a4b8d62022-12-22T03:58:43ZengMDPI AGMarine Drugs1660-33972016-05-011459910.3390/md14050099md14050099“The Good, the Bad and the Ugly” of ChitosansBarbara Bellich0Ilenia D’Agostino1Sabrina Semeraro2Amelia Gamini3Attilio Cesàro4Laboratory of Physical and Macromolecular Chemistry, Department of Chemical and Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Trieste, Via Giorgieri 1, 34127 Trieste, ItalyDepartment of Life Sciences, University of Trieste, Via Giorgieri 1, 34127 Trieste, ItalyDepartment of Life Sciences, University of Trieste, Via Giorgieri 1, 34127 Trieste, ItalyLaboratory of Physical and Macromolecular Chemistry, Department of Chemical and Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Trieste, Via Giorgieri 1, 34127 Trieste, ItalyLaboratory of Physical and Macromolecular Chemistry, Department of Chemical and Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Trieste, Via Giorgieri 1, 34127 Trieste, ItalyThe objective of this paper is to emphasize the fact that while consistent interest has been paid to the industrial use of chitosan, minor attention has been devoted to spread the knowledge of a good characterization of its physico-chemical properties. Therefore, the paper attempts to critically comment on the conflicting experimental results, highlighting the facts, the myths and the controversies. The goal is to indicate how to take advantage of chitosan versatility, to learn how to manage its variability and show how to properly tackle some unexpected undesirable features. In the sections of the paper various issues that relate chitosan properties to some basic features and to advanced solutions and applications are presented. The introduction outlines some historical pioneering works, where the chemistry of chitosan was originally explored. Thereafter, particular reference is made to analytical purity, characterization and chain modifications. The macromolecular characterization is mostly related to molecular weight and to degree of acetylation, but also refers to the conformational and rheological properties and solution stability. Then, the antimicrobial activity of chitosan in relation with its solubility is reviewed. A section is dedicated to the formulation of chitosan biomaterials, from gel to nanobeads, exploring their innovative application as active carrier nanoparticles. Finally, the toxicity issue of chitosan as a polymer and as a constructed nanomaterial is briefly commented in the conclusions.http://www.mdpi.com/1660-3397/14/5/99chitosanphysico-chemical propertiesmolecular weightdegree of acetylationconformationantimicrobial activityfrom gel to nanobeadsdrug delivery |
| spellingShingle | Barbara Bellich Ilenia D’Agostino Sabrina Semeraro Amelia Gamini Attilio Cesàro “The Good, the Bad and the Ugly” of Chitosans Marine Drugs chitosan physico-chemical properties molecular weight degree of acetylation conformation antimicrobial activity from gel to nanobeads drug delivery |
| title | “The Good, the Bad and the Ugly” of Chitosans |
| title_full | “The Good, the Bad and the Ugly” of Chitosans |
| title_fullStr | “The Good, the Bad and the Ugly” of Chitosans |
| title_full_unstemmed | “The Good, the Bad and the Ugly” of Chitosans |
| title_short | “The Good, the Bad and the Ugly” of Chitosans |
| title_sort | the good the bad and the ugly of chitosans |
| topic | chitosan physico-chemical properties molecular weight degree of acetylation conformation antimicrobial activity from gel to nanobeads drug delivery |
| url | http://www.mdpi.com/1660-3397/14/5/99 |
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