title: Determination of the pattern of acetylation of low-molecular-weight chitosan used in biomedical applications.
abstract: The microstructure of chitosan, a linear copolymer of glucosamine and N-acetylglucosamine units widely used in biomedical applications, is closely dependent on the conditions of its preparation. Knowledge of the structural differences between chitosan preparations is very important in determining the properties of chitosan and essential for structure-activity analysis where biological systems are concerned. Determination of the pattern of acetylation of chitosan samples (P(A) parameter) by (13)C NMR spectroscopy hitherto required depolymerization of the native chitosans. The present study has demonstrated that this step is not necessary for determining P(A) of low-molecular-weight chitosan samples.
authors.affiliation: Faculty of Chemistry, University of Gdansk, Sobieskiego 18/19, PL-80-952 Gdansk, Poland. kumirska@chem.univ.gda.pl
authors.forename: Jolanta
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Kumirska
authors.forename: Mirko X
authors.initials: MX
authors.lastname: Weinhold
authors.forename: Janelle C M
authors.initials: JC
authors.lastname: Sauvageau
authors.forename: Jorg
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Thöming
authors.forename: Zbigniew
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Kaczyński
authors.forename: Piotr
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Stepnowski
mesh_terms: D000107:Acetylation; D001672:Biocompatible Materials / Q000737:chemistry*; D002626:Chemistry, Pharmaceutical / Q000379:methods; D048271:Chitosan / Q000737:chemistry*; D009682:Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy / Q000379:methods*; D008970:Molecular Weight; D013329:Structure-Activity Relationship
chemical_list: D001672:Biocompatible Materials; D048271:Chitosan