title: Antibacterial effects of chitosan powder: mechanisms of action.
abstract: Chitosan, the deacetylated derivative of chitin, is a natural D-glucosamine polymer that can be extracted from the shells of seafood such as prawns crabs and lobsters. It can be used as a flocculent, plant disease resistant promoter, anti-cancer agent, wound healing promotion agent and antimicrobial agent. The aim of this paper is the study of the interaction between chitosan powder and various kinds of pathogen microorganisms potentially present in water. First of all, physico-chemical characterisations of chitin and chitosan powder were performed. The deacetylation yields were 35%, 60% and 80 +/- 10%. The experimental studies focused on the measurements of the mortality constant rate for various bacterial strains, Escherichia coli, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Enterococcus faecalis and Staphylococcus saprophyticus. An explanation of the antibacterial mechanisms is proposed involving the cell wall disruption due to free amino groups present in chitosan.
authors.affiliation: Ecole des Mines de Nantes, GEPEA, UMR 6144, 4 rue Alfred Kastler, BP 20722, 44307 Nantes cedex 03 France.
authors.forename: Y
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Andres
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Giraud
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Gerente
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Le Cloirec
mesh_terms: D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents / Q000737:chemistry / Q000494:pharmacology*; D002686:Chitin / Q000737:chemistry / Q000494:pharmacology; D048271:Chitosan / Q000737:chemistry / Q000494:pharmacology*; D006090:Gram-Negative Bacteria / Q000187:drug effects*; D006094:Gram-Positive Bacteria / Q000187:drug effects*; D008564:Membrane Potentials / Q000187:drug effects; D008826:Microbial Sensitivity Tests; D011208:Powders; D013055:Spectrophotometry, Infrared; D014871:Water Microbiology
chemical_list: D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents; D011208:Powders; D002686:Chitin; D048271:Chitosan