Chitosan can inhibit growth and reproduction of fungi, bacteria, and virus. When this product is used as coating preservation, it can inhibit respiratory metabolism and water loss of fruits and vegetables, thus slowing their aging process of organization and structure and effectively extending their postharvest life. This product can also be used as antioxidant. In heating process, free iron ions are released from meat hemoglobin and they form chelates with chitosan, thus their catalytic activity is inhibited.
This product can lower lipid and reduce food calories, so it can be used as healthy food additive. Chitobiose and chitotriose have refreshing sweetness and they can mediate blood pressure, eliminate fatty liver, lower cholesterol and enhance function of immune system. In addition, this product can also improve water holding and regulating capacity of food so it can be used as health food additive for patients with diabetes and obesity.
Chitosan can act as a good cleaning agent for grapefruit juice and the effect is very significant no matter grapefruit juice is treated by pectinase or not. Moreover, this product can be used in water clarifying agent and enzyme immobilization agent.
In clinical trial, this product has very wide applications. Firstly, this product can be used as hemostatic agent because it can promote blood clotting. In addition, this product can be used as wound packing material, for the reason that it has the effect of sterilization, wound healing promotion, wound exudates absorption and resistance to dehydration shrinkage. Secondly, this product can be degraded into natural metabolites by in vivo lysozyme which means that it has the feature of non-toxicity and complete absorption. As a result, this product has a great advantage when it is used as sustained-release agent. Thirdly, complex of chitosan and calcium phosphate can be used as a bone substitute for bone repair and tooth packing. After combined together with chitin, its derivatives can be turned into high-strength filament fiber which can be used as operation line. Last but not least, this product can activate body system, mediate a series of biological effects and improve the function of phagocyte system.
Related Names
Poliglusam | Deacetylchitin | Poly-(D)glucosamine | Linear Polysaccharide