Solubility Of Chitosan Research Articles

Evaluation of quaternization effect on chitosan-HAP composite for bone tissue engineering application

This study attempts to improve the aqueous solubility of chitosan and utilizes it in the fabrication of composites with hydroxyapatite (HAP). The composites were evaluated as a curcumin delivery vehicle for bone regeneration. The chitosan was modified by quaternization, with a quaternization degree of 5 % for low quaternized chitosan (LQC) and 11 % for high quaternized chitosan (HQC). The modified chitosan, at alkaline pH 11, facilitated in situ HAP growth and formed LQC-HAP and HQC-HAP composites. The quaternization weakens intermolecular hydrogen bonds, facilitates interaction with the apatite precursor ions and promotes the growth of HAP. The modification significantly improved drug encapsulation (2.6 fold) but at the cost of a slight decrease in mechanical strength and increase in drug release. The in vitro studies with human osteoblast-like MG-63 cells established that the curcumin-loaded composites, LQC-HAP-C and HQC-HAP-C are biocompatible, encourage proliferation and promote a 2-fold increase in calcium mineralization over drug-free composites. The study exemplifies the reciprocity between quaternization degree and drug load/release properties and also illustrates that the magnitude of the latter reflects bioactivity. Thus, the quaternized chitosan-based HAP composite with tailorable bio-physicochemical properties becomes an interesting drug delivery system in bone regeneration.

From biopolymer dissolution to CO2 capture under atmospheric pressure - A molecular view on biopolymer@Ionic liquid materials

Finding a cheap and easily recycling material that can capture CO2 under atmospheric pressure (1 atm) is of paramount importance. In this context, combining ionic liquids (ILs) with abundant and natural materials, such as chitin-based biopolymers, appears as an interesting alternative. In this work, four acetate-based ILs were selected to explore the solubility of chitin, chitosan, and carboxymethyl-chitosan. Using carboxymethyl-chitosan and biopolymer monomer units as models, different Nuclear Magnetic Resonance (NMR) techniques, namely, 1H, 13C, nuclear Overhauser effect spectroscopy, and spin-lattice relaxation, were performed to evaluate the dissolution. Shrimp shells were used as a chitin source. Through a simple acid/base treatment, it was possible to remove minerals and proteins, and use it to prepare biopolymer@IL materials for CO2 capture tests. Efficient CO2 sorption capacity was observed upon bubbling CO2 with a maximum of 2.32 mmolCO2/gsorbent. Under N2 bubbling, the system demonstrated excellent recycling capacity using a room temperature procedure that outperformed aqueous amine solutions recycling. The absence of heating and vacuum recycling procedures, combined with the use of N2 or compressed air is much more appealing for industrial applications.

UJI KUALITAS KITOSAN DARI LIMBAH TULANG SOTONG DENGAN VARIASI SUHU DEASETILASI

Research has been carried out on testing the quality of characteristics chitosan from cuttlefish bone waste with variations in deacetylation temperature. The purpose of this study is to identify the potential of cuttlefish bone as a raw material for producing chitosan and the effect of variations in deacetylation temperature on the quality of the chitosan. The tests of water content, ash content and chitosan solubility values. Solubility test showed that the three samples were soluble in 2% acetic acid. The results of the water content test with variations in deacetylation temperatures of 110 0C, 120 0C, 130 0C were 0.3467%, 0.1063% and 0.0135%, respectively. The ash content of chitosan is 0.2627%, 0.0125% and 0.0060%. The results of testing water and ash content showed a decrease in the value linear within increasing temperature.

Crosslinked Chitosan-Gelatin Biocompatible Nanocomposite as a Neuro Drug Carrier.

The polymers, chitosan, a polysaccharide, and gelatin, a protein, are crosslinked in different ratios without the aid of a crosslinking agent. Facile chemical reactions were followed to synthesize a chitosan/gelatin nanocomposite in three different ratios (1:1, 1:3, and 3:1). The solubility of chitosan and the stability of gelatin were improved due to the crosslinking. Both the polymers have excellent biodegradability, biocompatibility, adhesion, and absorption properties in a biological environment. The properties of the composite were favorable to be used in drug delivery applications, and the drug dopamine was encapsulated in the composite for all three ratios. The properties of the chitosan/gelatin nanocomposite and dopamine-loaded chitosan/gelatin nanocomposite were examined using XRD, FTIR, SEM, UV, TGA, TEM, and DLS techniques, and the crosslinking was confirmed. Higuchi kinetic release was seen with a cumulative release of 93% within 24 h for the 1:3 nanocomposite in a neutral medium. The peaks at 9 and 20° in the XRD spectrum confirmed the encapsulation of dopamine with the increase in the crystallinity of chitosan, which is also evident from the SAED image. The dopamine functional groups were confirmed from the IR peaks between 500 and 1500 cm–1 and the wide UV absorption maxima between 250 and 290 nm. The particle size of the drug-loaded composite in the ratios 1:1, 1:3, and 3:1 were calculated to be 275, 405, and 355 nm, respectively. The nanocomposite also showed favorable DPPH antioxidant and antibacterial activity againstStaphylococcus aureus. Sustained release of dopamine in a neutral medium using crosslinked chitosan and gelatin without the presence of a crosslinker is the highlight of the work.

Impact of Deacetylation Degree on Properties of Chitosan for Formation of Electrosprayed Nanoparticles

Biopolymer of natural origin as chitosan has been studied and applied widely in practice. In the pharmaceutical field, especially, chitosan nanoparticles have been researched for a variety of drug delivery systems. There are many factors influencing the success of the chitosan nanoparticle delivery system. Therein, the specific parameters to the physicochemical nature of chitosan greatly determine the efficiency of its drugs carrier. The degree of deacetylation (DD) of chitosan is one of those parameters. In this study, the influence of DD on chitosan properties was clarified to facilitate the preparation of nanoparticles by the electrospraying method. DD can affect the solubility, crystallinity, and surface tension of chitosan, but it cannot strongly impact the viscosity of chitosan solution as much as the molecular weight (Mv). From these results, M3 chitosan, owning a high DD of 86.70%, and crystalline index of 44%, was dissolved in acetic acid for the collection of electrosprayed nanoparticles. The M3 solution having low viscosity of under 50 mm2/s displayed the easy adjustment of the stable Taylor-cone droplet at the nozzle tip. Particularly, the M3 chitosan solution with a concentration of 1.5 wt.% in acetic acid of 90 wt.% concentration operated at the working condition of 12 kV voltage, a distance between the two electrodes of 10 cm created spherical particles with an average diameter of 338 nm, narrow size distribution. These chitosan nanoparticles can obtain the initial requirement for application as injectable drugs carrier.

Chitosan as a Water-Developable 193 nm Photoresist for Green Photolithography

The development of environmentally friendly materials and processes is a major issue that concerns all industrial sectors, including microelectronics. The aim of this study is to demonstrate the possibility of using chitosan-based photoresists for microelectronic applications on silicon by 193 nm photolithography. The photopatterning of chitosan films is demonstrated and analyzed by different spectroscopy and microscopy techniques. In particular, it is shown that 193 nm irradiation allows one to induce chain breaks that modify the solubility of chitosan in an aqueous developing solution, without denaturing the chitosan macromolecule chains. This mechanism allows one to obtain patterns, and it is shown that these patterns can be transferred by physical etching into silica. It is also demonstrated that the formulated resins are compatible with industrial spin-coating and exposure tools, which opens very interesting perspectives for these chitosan-based positive resins in a microelectronic context.

Preparation, characterization and antibacterial activity of new ionized chitosan

In order to improve the solubility and antibacterial activity of chitosan and expand its application range, ionized chitosan (ICS) was successfully synthesized from chitosan through methylation and sulfonation reactions in this study. The chemical structures of the polymers were verified by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) and 1H NMR, and a series of characterizations of the polymer were carried out by analytical methods such as element analysis (EA), thermogravimetric analysis (TGA), differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) and X-ray diffraction (XRD). The results showed that the water solubility of the modified ICS was significantly improved. The introduction of propyl sulfonic acid groups with particle size decreasing and potential increasing greatly improved the antibacterial activity of chitosan, indicating that the ICS had the potential as a water-soluble antibacterial agent.

Comparative characterization and release study of edible films of chitosan and natural extracts

The aim of the present work is to investigate the combinative effects two natural extracts Piper betle L. (PBLE) and Sonneratia ovata (SOE) on the physico-mechanical and biological properties of chitosan films (CS) and compare the release properties of polyphenols from formulated films in different food simulants. Films containing the extracts showed better water permeation barrier, UV-protection property, antioxidant and antibacterial activities than control chitosan films. The co-addition of PBLE and SOE intermediate the mechanical behavior and thermostability as well as antioxidant and antimicrobial activities of the chitosan based blend film. Moreover, the mechanism and kinetics of polyphenol release from films in different solvents were investigated. The highest amount of polyphenols released from all chitosan blend films was observed in acidic environment due to chitosan solubility. It was also found that the release data are well-fitted with Peleg’s model and the release process was controlled by quasi-Fickian diffusion mechanism.

Removal effect and mechanism of amphiphilic chitosan modified microbubbles on microcystis aeruginosa

Algal blooms in lake and reservoir water lead to water quality problems, including water odors, algal toxins, and disinfection byproducts. A novel dissolved air flotation process that incorporates positively charged bubbles (PosiDAF) can effectively remove algae in lakes and reservoirs. Chitosan, as a modified bubble agent in the PosiDAF process, has attracted extensive attention due to its natural nontoxicity and good flocculation properties. In this paper, three types of amphiphilic chitosan with different lengths of carbon chains were prepared via amphiphilic modification and were used as bubble modifiers to remove microcystis aeruginosa in the PosiDAF process. The effects of algae removal under different dosage of modifiers were compared, and the role of algal organic matter was investigated. Results showed that the water solubility of chitosan was markedly enhanced after amphiphilic modification, while thermal stability were decreased. When using butyl-N-2 hydroxypropyl trimethyl chitosan ammonium chloride (C4-HTCC), the effect of modified air flotation was the best, and the removal ratio of algae was 93.47% when the C4-HTCC dosage was 1.0 mg/L. The presence of AOM enhanced the overall effect of algae removal, and electrostatic attraction was the primary adhesion mechanism of the microbubble-amphiphilic chitosan-algal organic matter-algal cell system. In addition, adsorption bridging and net trapping also have positive effects on algae removal.

Hollow microcapsule with pH-sensitive chitosan/polymer shell for in vitro delivery of curcumin and gemcitabine

The utilization of hollow structures for encapsulation and controlled release of drugs has attracted considerable attention in recent years. Among the different methods reported for fabrication of hollow polymer microcapsules, the layer-by-layer (LbL) assembly of oppositely charged polymers is of special importance. The pH-responsive capsules have attracted special interest as anti-cancer drug delivery systems due to the difference between normal and cancerous tissue. In this work, new pH-sensitive and biodegradable capsules were prepared based on the layer-by-layer (LbL) assembly of oppositely charged polyelectrolytes, chitosan (CS), and poly(ethylene glycol dimethacrylate-co-methacrylic acid) (EM). The obtained microcapsules were used for the delivery of two types of anticancer drugs including gemcitabine (Gem) and curcumin (Cur). The removal of the core was proved with transmission electron microscopy (TEM) confirming the spherical shape of the prepared hollow structure. The high performance of microcapsules was proven by encapsulation efficiency (EE%) and releasing efficiency (RE%) of above 84% and 82%, respectively. The high pH sensitivity of prepared microcapsules is due to the solubility of chitosan in acidic media. These microcapsules exhibit high cytotoxicity in a dose-dependent manner on the HCT-116 colorectal carcinoma cells. On the other hand, the desired results for the drug delivery of Gem and Cur demonstrate the applicability of prepared microcapsules for different drugs.

In Vitro Evaluation of Cholesterol-Reducing Ability of Chitosan from Mangrove Crab (Scylla serrata) Shell Solid Dispersion using PVP K-30 as a Carrier

Background: Chitosan is a compound that can be synthesized from nature which can reduce the total serum cholesterol levels between 5.8−42.6% and decrease LDL (Low-Density Lipoprotein) between 15.1-35.1%. One of the natural resources containing chitosan derivative compounds is the shell of mud crab. Chitosan is insoluble in water but soluble in acidic solutions such as acetic acid. With such chitosan solubility, it is necessary to increase the solubility by making a solid dispersion system so that drug absorption can be faster. Objectives: The aims of this study is to determine the potential of chitosan solid dispersion system for reducing cholesterol. Material and Methods: The reduction of cholesterol levels was carried out by in vitro tests using UV-Vis spectrophotometer at a wavelength of 405 nm with Lieberman-Burchad reagent. The positive control used was simvastatin. There are 4 formulas, namely SD1, PM1, SD2, and PM2. This solid dispersion system uses polyvinyl pyrrolidone K-30 (PVP K-30) as carrier. Results: The characterization of chitosan has fulfilled all the characterization requirements that is organoleptic (shape and color) was creamy white, moisture content was 2.15%, ash content was 1.14%, ninhydrin test was positive purple, and deacetylation degree was 70.57%. The results of in vitro evaluation were obtained a dark green solution. The reducing percentage in cholesterol levels are SD1: 18.44%; PM1 : 18.11%; SD2 : 29.57%; and PM2 :12.01%. Simvastatin as a positive control has a percentage reduction in cholesterol levels of 30.07%. Conclusion: Chitosan has an activity as anticholesterol agent. SD2 (Solid Dispersion Chitosan: PVP K-30 = 1:2) has the higher percentage than other formulas for reducing cholesterol level comparable with the positive control.

Characterization and Optimization of Chitosan-Coated Polybutylcyanoacrylate Nanoparticles for the Transfection-Guided Neural Differentiation of Mouse Induced Pluripotent Stem Cells.

Gene transfection is a valuable tool for analyzing gene regulation and function, and providing an avenue for the genetic engineering of cells for therapeutic purposes. Though efficient, the potential concerns over viral vectors for gene transfection has led to research in non-viral alternatives. Cationic polyplexes such as those synthesized from chitosan offer distinct advantages such as enhanced polyplex stability, cellular uptake, endo-lysosomal escape, and release, but are limited by the poor solubility and viscosity of chitosan. In this study, the easily synthesized biocompatible and biodegradable polymeric polysorbate 80 polybutylcyanoacrylate nanoparticles (PS80 PBCA NP) are utilized as the backbone for surface modification with chitosan, in order to address the synthetic issues faced when using chitosan alone as a carrier. Plasmid DNA (pDNA) containing the brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) gene coupled to a hypoxia-responsive element and the cytomegalovirus promotor gene was selected as the genetic cargo for the in vitro transfection-guided neural-lineage specification of mouse induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs), which were assessed by immunofluorescence staining. The chitosan-coated PS80 PBCA NP/BDNF pDNA polyplex measured 163.8 ± 1.8 nm and zeta potential measured −34.8 ± 1.8 mV with 0.01% (w/v) high molecular weight chitosan (HMWC); the pDNA loading efficiency reached 90% at a nanoparticle to pDNA weight ratio of 15, which also corresponded to enhanced polyplex stability on the DNA stability assay. The HMWC-PS80 PBCA NP/BDNF pDNA polyplex was non-toxic to mouse iPSCs for up to 80 μg/mL (weight ratio = 40) and enhanced the expression of BDNF when compared with PS80 PBCA NP/BDNF pDNA polyplex. Evidence for neural-lineage specification of mouse iPSCs was observed by an increased expression of nestin, neurofilament heavy polypeptide, and beta III tubulin, and the effects appeared superior when transfection was performed with the chitosan-coated formulation. This study illustrates the versatility of the PS80 PBCA NP and that surface decoration with chitosan enabled this delivery platform to be used for the transfection-guided differentiation of mouse iPSCs.

Production of Low Molecular Weight Chitosan and Chitooligosaccharides (COS): A Review.

Chitosan is a biopolymer with high added value, and its properties are related to its molecular weight. Thus, high molecular weight values provide low solubility of chitosan, presenting limitations in its use. Based on this, several studies have developed different hydrolysis methods to reduce the molecular weight of chitosan. Acid hydrolysis is still the most used method to obtain low molecular weight chitosan and chitooligosaccharides. However, the use of acids can generate environmental impacts. When different methods are combined, gamma radiation and microwave power intensity are the variables that most influence acid hydrolysis. Otherwise, in oxidative hydrolysis with hydrogen peroxide, a long time is the limiting factor. Thus, it was observed that the most efficient method is the association between the different hydrolysis methods mentioned. However, this alternative can increase the cost of the process. Enzymatic hydrolysis is the most studied method due to its environmental advantages and high specificity. However, hydrolysis time and process cost are factors that still limit industrial application. In addition, the enzymatic method has a limited association with other hydrolysis methods due to the sensitivity of the enzymes. Therefore, this article seeks to extensively review the variables that influence the main methods of hydrolysis: acid concentration, radiation intensity, potency, time, temperature, pH, and enzyme/substrate ratio, observing their influence on molecular weight, yield, and characteristic of the product.

Solid Dispersion Characteristics of Whiteleg Shrimp (Litopenaeus vannamei) Extracted Chitosan with HPMC and PVP K-30 as Anti-cholesterol Agents

This study aims at evaluating the characteristics of chitosan solid dispersion from whiteleg shrimp (Litopenaeus vannamei). As anti-cholesterol agent, chitosan requires solubility enhancement which can be facilitated in solid dispersion. Here, chitosan solid dispersion was made by solvent evaporation technique used HPMC and PVP K-30 as the carriers, in which the chitosan was prepared from whitleg shrimp shell Chitosan solid dispersion was varied into six formulation, i.e. chitosan: HPMC = FH1 (1:0.25), FH2 (1:0,5), FH3 (1:2), and chitosan: PVP K-30 = FP1 (1:1), FP2 (1:2), and FP3 (1:3), and pristine chitosan, HPMC, and PVP K-30 were utilized as reference compound. Characteristics of chitosan solid dispersion were assessed from the solubility test, SEM, XRD, and FTIR. The result indicates that solubility of chitosan solid dispersion was better than the pristine chitosan. The recommended formula from this study was FP3, because obtained smaller particle size than the other, that could increase the solubility of chitosan. The crystallinity of chitosan remained unchanged upon solid dispersion preparation.

An Overview of the Design of Chitosan-Based Fiber Composite Materials

Chitosan composite fibrous materials continue to generate significant interest for wastewater treatment, food packaging, and biomedical applications. This relates to the relatively high surface area and porosity of such fibrous chitosan materials that synergize with their unique physicochemical properties. Various methods are involved in the preparation of chitosan composite fibrous materials, which include the modification of the biopolymer that serve to alter the solubility of chitosan, along with post-treatment of the composite materials to improve the water stability or to achieve tailored functional properties. Two promising methods to produce such composite fibrous materials involve freeze-drying and electrospinning. Future developments of such composite fibrous materials demands an understanding of the various modes of preparation and methods of structural characterization of such materials. This review contributes to an understanding of the structure–property relationships of composite fibrous materials that contain chitosan, along with an overview of recent advancements concerning their preparation.

Enhancing chitosan solubility in alcohol: water mixtures for film-forming systems releasing with turmeric extracts

BackgroundFilm-forming system (FFS), a non-solid dosage form, are attractive drug delivery system for the topical drug administration due to ability to form a film in situ on a skin after spraying or applying. To minimize drying time, alcohol is often used as a solvent in the system. The aim of this research was to enhance chitosan solubility in alcoholic solution by chemical modification of chitosan, i.e., reductive amination and Michael addition reaction, for film-forming systems with efficient releasing of turmeric extract. MethodsAlcoholic-soluble chitosan derivative (CBA) was synthesized by reductive amination, followed by a Michael reaction. Its structure was investigated by FT-IR, 1H NMR and XRD techniques. The CBA was incorporated with β-cyclodextrin encapsulated turmeric extract (CDTE) to prepare film-forming solution. Significant FindingsThe results confirmed that the CBA was successful prepared, as the new peaks were observed by FT-IR and 1H NMR, with good solubility in 50% aqueous alcoholic solution. The CBA-based film, derived from the solvent evaporation, exhibited nontoxic to HaCaT cells. Moreover, the films containing CDTE had smooth surfaces and released turmeric extract (74%) more effectively than films containing the extract alone (43%). The CBA-based ethanolic solution (30–50%v/v ethanol) could dry within ~6–9 min and form a thin film on human skin. ConclusionsThus, the CBA-based solution with CDTE has potential as a film-forming system based on natural products.

Lactobionic acid-modified chitosan thermosensitive hydrogels that lift lesions and promote repair in endoscopic submucosal dissection

To develop a biomaterial to lift the lesion and promote wound healing in endoscopic submucosal dissection (ESD), we used lactobionic acid (LA) to improve the water solubility of chitosan (CS) and prepared a new three-phase hydrogel system with lactobionic acid-modified chitosan/chitosan/β-glycerophosphate (CSLA/CS/GP). The results indicated that the hydrogel retains temperature-sensitive properties, and CSLA obviously improved the low-temperature fluidity of the hydrogel precursor solution, enabling injection of the hydrogel by endoscopic needle. The mechanical strength and bio-adhesion of the hydrogels were also improved by the addition of CSLA and the hydrogels could be maintained in acidic environment for a few days and exhibit greater protection of cells. The CSLA/CS/GP hydrogels show good cytocompatibility. The heights of cushions elevated by CSLA/CS/GP hydrogels remained ∼ 60 % 2 h post-injection in porcine stomach models. Given the unique characteristics of these materials, the CSLA/CS/GP thermo-sensitive hydrogel is a promising intraoperative biomaterial in ESD.

Effect of chitosan dissolved in different acetic acid concentration towards VOC sensing performance of quartz crystal microbalance overlay with chitosan

Improvement in sensing layer properties of quartz crystal microbalance (QCM) sensors are crucial in developing gas sensors with high sensitivity and selectivity. In this work, we study the use of chitosan thin film as the sensing layer on a QCM sensor to identify the presence of volatile organic compounds specifically isopropyl alcohol (IPA). The effect of chitosan dissolved in different acetic acid concentrations towards QCM overlay with chitosan sensing performance were studied. Characterization work on chitosan thin film at different acetic acid concentrations (1.0, 1.5, 2.0, 2.5% (v/v)) were performed by using FTIR and FESEM. Higher acid concentration led to a higher degree of protonation which results in a more progressive solubilization of chitosan and promotes smoother film. For chitosan layer dissolved in 2% acetic acid, the highest resonance frequency shift (99.3 Hz) was observed during the adsorption of the analyte gas molecules on QCM sensors. This can be explained by the increase in chitosan solubility and protonation. This indicates that difference acid concentration in chitosan dissolution affects the sensing performance during the presence of the analyte gas.

Investigation of the stability of PEG stearate-coated Chitosan nanoparticles loaded with levothyroxine

We report the formation and characterization of PEG stearate (PEG)-coated Chitosan nanoparticles. Chitosan nanoparticles were synthesized using tripolyphosphate via the ionic crosslinking method. Preparation of PEG Stearate-grafted Chitosan is essential to improve the biocompatibility and water solubility of Chitosan. The size and morphologies of Chitosan nanoparticles were measured with transmission electron microscopy and scanning electron microscopy. Sizes of Chitosan nanoparticles were in the range of 150-200 nm. The particle size and zeta potential of PEG Stearate-coated Chitosan had been measured as 187.5 nm by Photon Correlation Spectroscopy. Drug entrapment efficiency was obtained to be 99%. The purpose of the present work was to develop a new nanoparticle system, consisting of polymeric nanoparticles coated with PEG Stearate. The modification procedure led to a reduction in the zeta potential values, varying from +43.3 mV for the uncoated particles to +20 mV for that of PEG Stearate-coated Chitosan. PEG Stearate coated nanoparticles were more stable due to their polymer coating layer which prevented aggregation of Chitosan nanoparticles. Consequently, it is possible that the PEG Stearate surrounds the particles reducing the attachment of enzymes and further degradation of the polymeric cores. Properties nanoparticles were affected by the preparation variables and the coating layer. Chitosan nanoparticles showed a smooth surface and globular shape. In this study, we explored the release behavior of levothyroxine was affected by the coating layer. Coating surface leads to a decrease in the burst release effect compared to uncoated nanoparticles due to gradual release of adsorbed levothyroxine from PEG-coated Chitosan nanoparticles.

Grafting of 18β-Glycyrrhetinic Acid and Sialic Acid onto Chitosan to Produce a New Amphipathic Chitosan Derivative: Synthesis, Characterization, and Cytotoxicity.

Chitosan is the only cationic polysaccharide found in nature. It has broad application prospects in biomaterials, but its application is limited due to its poor solubility in water. A novel chitosan derivative was synthesized by amidation of chitosan with 18β-glycyrrhetinic acid and sialic acid. The chitosan derivatives were characterized by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, thermogravimetric analysis, and measurement of the zeta potential. We also investigated the solubility, cytotoxicity, and blood compatibility of chitosan derivatives. 18β-glycyrrhetinic acid and sialic acid could be grafted onto chitosan molecular chains. The thermal stability of the synthesized chitosan derivatives was decreased and the surface was positively charged in water and phosphate-buffered saline. After chitosan had been modified by 18 β-glycyrrhetinic acid and sialic acid, the solubility of chitosan was improved greatly in water and phosphate-buffered saline, and percent hemolysis was <5%. Novel amphiphilic chitosan derivatives could be suitable polymers for biomedical purposes.