title: The effect of preparation processes on the physicochemical characteristics and antibacterial activity of chitooligosaccharides.
abstract: The bioactivities of chitooligosaccharides are markedly influenced by the degree of acetylation, degree of polymerization or molecular weight and pattern of acetylation. Thus, it is crucial to identify reproducible processes that will give rise to well-defined chitooligosaccharides and establish methods for their posterior physicochemical characterization in order to advance in the knowledge of their bioactivity. Chitooligosaccharides were prepared by two different processes. The first used chitosanase enzymatic hydrolysis and the second consisted of a two-step procedure based on chemical hydrolysis followed by chitosanase hydrolysis. Chitooligosaccharides produced in the second process were composed of 63 % of fully deacetylated sequences and inhibited the growth of Escherichia coli and Listeria monocytogenes. Better antibacterial activity was found for those obtained in the first process composed of 27 % of fully deacetylated sequences. Therefore, a low percentage of free amino groups and the presence of acetylated sequences are necessary in these molecules to exert good antibacterial capacity.
authors.affiliation: Instituto de Estudios Biofuncionales, Departamento de Química Física II, Facultad de Farmacia, Universidad Complutense de Madrid, 28040 Madrid, Spain.
authors.forename: Á
authors.initials: Á
authors.lastname: Sánchez
authors.affiliation: Instituto de Estudios Biofuncionales, Departamento de Química Física II, Facultad de Farmacia, Universidad Complutense de Madrid, 28040 Madrid, Spain.
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Mengíbar
authors.affiliation: Institute of Plant Biology and Biotechnology, Westphalian Wilhelm's-University Münster, Schlossplatz 8, 48143 Münster, Germany.
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Rivera-Rodríguez
authors.affiliation: Institute of Plant Biology and Biotechnology, Westphalian Wilhelm's-University Münster, Schlossplatz 8, 48143 Münster, Germany.
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Moerchbacher
authors.affiliation: Instituto de Estudios Biofuncionales, Departamento de Química Física II, Facultad de Farmacia, Universidad Complutense de Madrid, 28040 Madrid, Spain.
authors.forename: N
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Acosta
authors.affiliation: Instituto de Estudios Biofuncionales, Departamento de Química Física II, Facultad de Farmacia, Universidad Complutense de Madrid, 28040 Madrid, Spain. Electronic address: aheras@ucm.es.
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Heras
mesh_terms: D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents / Q000138:chemical synthesis / Q000737:chemistry / Q000494:pharmacology; D002686:Chitin / Q000031:analogs & derivatives* / Q000138:chemical synthesis / Q000737:chemistry / Q000494:pharmacology; D048271:Chitosan; D004926:Escherichia coli / Q000187:drug effects*; D006868:Hydrolysis; D008087:Listeria / Q000187:drug effects*; D009844:Oligosaccharides
chemical_list: D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents; D009844:Oligosaccharides; C493484:oligochitosan; D002686:Chitin; D048271:Chitosan
keywords: Chemical depolymerization; Chitooligosaccharides; Chitosanase; Escherichia coli; Listeria monocytogenes