Abstract
The objective of this investigation was to evaluate the chitosans produced by several species of fungi. Representatives of four species of filamentous fungi, Aspergillus niger, Rhizopus oryzae, Lentinus edodes and Pleurotus sajo-caju, and two yeast strains, Zygosaccharomyces rouxii TISTR5058 and Candida albicans TISTR5239, were investigated for their ability to produce chitosan in complex media. Fungal chitosan was produced at 10-140 mg g-1 cell dry weight, had a degree of deacetylation of 84-90% and a molecular weight of 2.7 x 104-1.9 x 105 Da with a viscosity of 3.1-6.2 centipoises (cP). Rhizopus oryzae TISTR3189 was found to be the producer of the highest amounts of chitosan. Commercial chitosan could be obtained from Rhizopus mycelia and would have potential applications for medical and agricultural uses.
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