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|Section2= |Section8= }} Chitosan is a linear polysaccharide composed of randomly distributed β-(1-4)-linked D-glucosamine (deacetylated unit) and N-acetyl-D-glucosamine (acetylated unit). It is made by treating shrimp and other crustacean shells with the alkali sodium hydroxide. Chitosan has a number of commercial and possible biomedical uses. It can be used in agriculture as a seed treatment and biopesticide, helping plants to fight off fungal infections. In winemaking it can be used as a fining agent, also helping to prevent spoilage. In industry, it can be used in a self-healing polyurethane paint coating. In medicine, it may be useful in bandages to reduce bleeding and as an antibacterial agent; it can also be used to help deliver drugs through the skin. More controversially, chitosan has been asserted to have use in limiting fat absorption, which would make it useful for dieting, but there is evidence against this. Other uses of chitosan that have been researched include use as a soluble dietary fiber. ==Manufacture and properties== Chitosan is produced commercially by deacetylation of chitin, which is the structural element in the exoskeleton of crustaceans (such as crabs and shrimp) and cell walls of fungi. The degree of deacetylation (%DD) can be determined by NMR spectroscopy, and the %DD in commercial chitosans ranges from 60 to 100%. On average, the molecular weight of commercially produced chitosan is between 3800 and 20,000 Daltons. A common method for the synthesis of chitosan is the deacetylation of chitin using sodium hydroxide in excess as a reagent and water as a solvent. The reaction occurs in two stages under first-order kinetic control. Activation energy for the first step is higher than the second; its value is an estimated 48.76 kJ/mol at 25-120 degrees C. This reaction pathway, when allowed to go to completion (complete deacetylation) yields up to 98% product.〔 〕 The amino group in chitosan has a pKa value of ~6.5, which leads to a protonation in acidic to neutral solution with a charge density dependent on pH and the %DA-value. This makes chitosan water-soluble and a bioadhesive which readily binds to negatively charged surfaces such as mucosal membranes. Chitosan enhances the transport of polar drugs across epithelial surfaces, and is biocompatible and biodegradable. It is not approved by FDA for drug delivery though. Purified quantities of chitosans are available for biomedical applications. Chitosan and its derivatives, such as trimethylchitosan (where the amino group has been trimethylated), have been used in nonviral gene delivery. Trimethylchitosan, or quaternised chitosan, has been shown to transfect breast cancer cells, with increased degree of trimethylation increasing the cytotoxicity; at approximately 50% trimethylation, the derivative is the most efficient at gene delivery. Oligomeric derivatives (3-6 kDa) are relatively nontoxic and have good gene delivery properties. 抄文引用元・出典: フリー百科事典『 ウィキペディア（Wikipedia）』 ■ウィキペディアで「Chitosan」の詳細全文を読む スポンサード リンク
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