Biological effects and extraction processes used to obtain marine chitosan
Chitin is the main constituent of crustacean exoskeletons. Traditional chemical processes for its recovery create a disposal problem, due to the large amounts of toxic waste produced. This chapter reviews the current methods of obtaining chitin, chitosan, and chitooligosaccharides and describes alte...
| Authors: | , , |
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| Format: | other |
| Status: | Versión enviada para evaluación y publicación |
| Publication Date: | 2013 |
| Country: | España |
| Institution: | Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas (CSIC) |
| Repository: | DIGITAL.CSIC. Repositorio Institucional del CSIC |
| OAI Identifier: | oai:digital.csic.es:10261/126740 |
| Online Access: | http://hdl.handle.net/10261/126740 |
| Access Level: | Open access |
| Keyword: | Chitin Food Chitosan Biological properties Chitooligosaccharides |
| Summary: | Chitin is the main constituent of crustacean exoskeletons. Traditional chemical processes for its recovery create a disposal problem, due to the large amounts of toxic waste produced. This chapter reviews the current methods of obtaining chitin, chitosan, and chitooligosaccharides and describes alternatives, such as the use of proteolytic enzymes, fermentation with selected microorganisms, ultrasonication and microwave treatment, and the use of ionic liquids. Methods for obtaining chitosan based on alkaline or enzymatic deacetylation of chitin and strategies for increasing its solubility in water, such as hydrolysis of the glycosidic bonds in chitosan-releasing chitooligosaccharides or the formation of different types of chitosan derivative, are also given. Chitosan's biological activities, such as antioxidant, hypocholesterolemic, antimicrobial, antihypertensive, prebiotic, and ion-binding activities, are presented, as are its potential applications in food, medicine, pharmacy, agriculture, and cosmetics. |
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