Chitosan: An Update on Potential Biomedical and Pharmaceutical Applications

Marine Drugs

Randy Chi Fai Cheung¹  Tzi Bun Ng¹  Jack Ho Wong²  Wai Yee Chan² 

[1] School of Biomedical Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China;

关键词: chitosan;    pharmaceutical applications;    biomedical applications;   

DOI  :  10.3390/md13085156

来源: mdpi

【 摘 要 】

Chitosan is a natural polycationic linear polysaccharide derived from chitin. The low solubility of chitosan in neutral and alkaline solution limits its application. Nevertheless, chemical modification into composites or hydrogels brings to it new functional properties for different applications. Chitosans are recognized as versatile biomaterials because of their non-toxicity, low allergenicity, biocompatibility and biodegradability. This review presents the recent research, trends and prospects in chitosan. Some special pharmaceutical and biomedical applications are also highlighted.

【 授权许可】

CC BY   
© 2015 by the authors; licensee MDPI, Basel, Switzerland.