What is Chitosan?
Chitin can be converted to its most well-known derivative, Chitosan. Chitosan is made by treating (deacetylating) the Chitin shells of shrimp and other crustaceans with an alkaline substance. The most common natural source of Chitin is shrimp and crab shells, which are the abundant byproducts of the food-processing industry. These provide large quantities of biopolymer for use in biomedical applications.
The amino group in Chitosan leads to significant protonation in neutral solution, increasing with increased acidity (decreased pH) and the DA-value. This makes Chitosan water-soluble and a bioadhesive which readily binds to negatively charged surfaces.
Chitin and Chitosan, owing to their unique biochemical properties such as biocompatibility, biodegradability, non-toxicity, ability to form films, etc, have found many promising biomedical applications. Nanotechnology has also increasingly used Chitin and Chitosan-based materials in its most recent achievements.
Chitin and Chitosan are used in a wide range of biomedical applications such as tissue engineering, wound healing, drug and gene delivery and stem cell technology. These biopolymers can be easily processed into various products, including hydrogels, membranes, nanofibers, beads, micro/nanoparticles, scaffolds, and sponges.