Abstract
Chitin and its derivatives—as a potential resource as well as multiple functional substrates—have generated attractive interest in various fields such as biomedical, pharmaceutical, food and environmental industries, since the first isolation of chitin in 1811. Moreover, chitosan and its chitooligosaccharides (COS) are degraded products of chitin through enzymatic and acidic hydrolysis processes; and COS, in particular, is well suited for potential biological application, due to the biocompatibility and nontoxic nature of chitosan. In this review, we investigate the current bioactivities of chitin derivatives, which are all correlated with their biomedical properties. Several new and cutting edge insights here may provide a molecular basis for the mechanism of chitin, and hence may aid its use for medical and pharmaceutical applications.
Highlights
Since chitin (C8H13O5N)n was first isolated and characterized from mushrooms, the earliest known polysaccharide, by French chemist Henri Braconnot in 1811 [1], it has been discovered to be the second most abundant natural biopolymer in the world [2,3,4], amounting in marine biomass alone to approximately 106–107 tons
This review aims to analyze the most recent advances in biological applications of chitin and its derivatives, those related to anti-inflammatory and antioxidant activities, antimicrobial effects, immunity-enhancing as well as antitumor effects and drug delivery, in the field of biological medicine
LPS-stimulated TNF-α and IL-6 secretion was found to be inhibited in the presence of chitosan oligosaccharide in RAW 264.7 cells [54], suggesting that chitosan oligosaccharide may possess an anti-inflammatory effect via the inhibition of TNF-α in the LPS-stimulated inflammation
Summary
Since chitin (C8H13O5N)n was first isolated and characterized from mushrooms, the earliest known polysaccharide, by French chemist Henri Braconnot in 1811 [1], it has been discovered to be the second most abundant natural biopolymer in the world [2,3,4], amounting in marine biomass alone to approximately 106–107 tons. Chitosan is a nontoxic biopolymer produced by the deacetylation of chitin, and currently chitosan and its oligosaccharides have received considerable attention due to their biological activities and properties in commercial applications. Chitin and its derivatives have delivered biological potential for a wide range of applications such as in the food and medical field [13,14,15,16], agriculture [17] and aquaculture [18,19], dental [20,21] and cosmetics [22,23], wastewater [24,25] and membranes [26,27]. This review aims to analyze the most recent advances in biological applications of chitin and its derivatives, those related to anti-inflammatory and antioxidant activities, antimicrobial effects, immunity-enhancing as well as antitumor effects and drug delivery, in the field of biological medicine
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