title: Chitin gels.
abstract: Chitin dissolved in N,N-dimethylacetamide, N-methyl-2-pyrrolidone and their mixed solvents in the presence of 5% LiCl was treated with acetic anhydride-pyridine, and the mixture solution was heated at 100 degrees C for 6 h to give a partially O-acetylated chitin gel. Chitin dissolved in these solvents in the presence of 5% LiCl was mixed with pyridine, and the mixture solution was heated at 60 degrees C for 5 h to give a chitin gel. Both the gels were rigid and transparent, and their properties and the rate of the hydrolysis of the chitin xerogel by hen-egg white lysozyme were essentially similar to those of N-acetylchitosan gel prepared by chemical N-acetylation of chitosan.
authors.affiliation: Department of Agricultural Biochemistry and Biotechnology, Tottori University, Japan.
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Hirano
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Horiuchi
mesh_terms: D000107:Acetylation; D000818:Animals; D003386:Brachyura; D002645:Chickens; D002686:Chitin / Q000737:chemistry*; D002712:Chlorides / Q000494:pharmacology; D005782:Gels; D006868:Hydrolysis; D008094:Lithium / Q000494:pharmacology; D018021:Lithium Chloride; D012997:Solvents
chemical_list: D002712:Chlorides; D005782:Gels; D012997:Solvents; D002686:Chitin; D008094:Lithium; D018021:Lithium Chloride