Chitin/chitosan derivatives and their interactions with microorganisms: a comprehensive review and future perspectives

Abstract

Chitosan, obtained as a result of the deacetylation of chitin, one of the most important naturally occurring polymers, has antimicrobial properties against fungi, and bacteria. It is also useful in other fields, including: food, biomedicine, biotechnology, agriculture, and the pharmaceutical industries. A literature survey shows that its antimicrobial activity depends upon several factors such as: the pH, temperature, molecular weight, ability to chelate metals, degree of deacetylation, source of chitosan, and the type of microorganism involved. This review will focus on the in vitro and in vivo antimicrobial properties of chitosan and its derivatives, along with a discussion on its mechanism of action during the treatment of infectious animal diseases, as well as its importance in food safety. We conclude with a summary of the challenges associated with the uses of chitosan and its derivatives.

Keywords:

• Antimicrobial
• chitosan
• chitosan derivatives
• microorganisms
• infectious disease
• food safety

Ethical statement

This article does not contain any studies with human participants or animals performed by any of the authors.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.

Additional information

Funding

This work was supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China [21606152], the Natural Science Foundation of Guangdong Province [2016A030313053], and the Special Fund for Development of Strategic Emerging Industries in Shenzhen [JCYJ20160520174823939, JCYJ20170817100522830, 20170424181248489].