[Properties, products, and applications of chitosan].
OBJECTIVE
To review and analyze the properties, products, and applications of chitosan so as to explore the key molecular structure parameters which can affect the properties and applications significantly, and to reveal the relationship between molecular structures and properties so as to provide reference for further development of chitosan industry and scientific research.


METHODS
Based on the collection and analysis of related literature, patents and medical products derived from chitosan, as well as the author's experiences in research and development, evaluation and standardization of chitosan, the paper was prepared to bring more attentions into the correlativity between structure and properties of chitosan.


RESULTS
Potential risks in clinical application of chitosan-based preparations were seriously proposed in addition to a scientific review and analysis on relationships between chitosan structure and properties, as well as the present situations of developments and applications of chitosan.


CONCLUSIONS
The molecular structure is the crucial factor that can bring not only positive but also passive effects to the properties and applications of chitosan, especially for highly purified chitosan, molecular weight, and deacetylation degree are the most important parameters that should be focused more attention on.
Institution of Microsurgery, Sixth People's Hospital, Shanghai Jiaotong University, Shanghai 200233, PR China.
Xiaojuan
X
Wei
Changqing
C
Zhang
Qisheng
Q
Gu
D001672:Biocompatible Materials / Q000737:chemistry*; D048271:Chitosan / Q000737:chemistry*; D008970:Molecular Weight
D001672:Biocompatible Materials; D048271:Chitosan