title: Preparation and important functional properties of water-soluble chitosan produced through Maillard reaction.
abstract: The objective of this research was to improve the solubility of chitosan at neutral or basic pH using the Maillard-type reaction method. To prepare the water-soluble chitosans, various chitosans and saccharides were used under various operating conditions. Biological and physicochemical properties of the chitosan-saccharide derivatives were investigated as well. Results indicated that the solubility of modified chitosan is significantly greater than that of native chitosan, and the chitosan-maltose derivative remained soluble when the pH approached 10. Among chitosan-saccharide derivatives, the solubility of chitosan-fructose derivative was highest at 17.1 g/l. Considering yield, solubility and pH stability, the chitosan-glucosamine derivative was deemed the optimal water-soluble derivative. Compared with the acid-soluble chitosan, the chitosan-glucosamine derivative exhibited high chelating capacity for Zn(2+), Fe(2+) and Cu(2+) ions. Relatively high antibacterial activity against Escherichia coli and Staphylococcus aureus was noted for the chitosan-glucosamine derivative as compared with native chitosan. Results suggest that the water-soluble chitosan produced using the Maillard reaction may be a promising commercial substitute for acid-soluble chitosan.
authors.affiliation: Department of Biological Science and Technology, China Institute of Technology, Taipei, Taiwan, ROC. ycchung@cc.chit.edu.tw
authors.forename: Ying-Chien
authors.initials: YC
authors.lastname: Chung
authors.forename: Cheng-Lang
authors.initials: CL
authors.lastname: Kuo
authors.forename: Chiing-Chang
authors.initials: CC
authors.lastname: Chen
mesh_terms: D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents / Q000737:chemistry; D001709:Biotechnology / Q000379:methods*; D002614:Chelating Agents / Q000737:chemistry*; D048271:Chitosan / Q000737:chemistry*; D006863:Hydrogen-Ion Concentration; D015416:Maillard Reaction; D019216:Metals, Heavy / Q000737:chemistry*; D012995:Solubility
chemical_list: D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents; D002614:Chelating Agents; D019216:Metals, Heavy; D048271:Chitosan