Current Development of Extraction, Characterization and Evaluation of Properties of Chitosan and Its Use in Medicine and Pharmaceutical Industry

摘要

Chitin and chitosan are waste products of sea shells, shrimps and prawns when the internal mollusks have been eaten or are dead and these sea shells are mostly scattered along many of the sea coasts constituting a nuisance. This review from various literatures explains the methods of extraction, evaluation of properties of chitosan obtained from sea shells for use in the pharmaceutical industries. Chitosan is obtained from chitin by deacetylation to a higher greater degree of 70 – 90% taking advantage of their biocompartibility and biodegradability. Advance research works of chitosan are also discussed. Biopolymer like chitosan is commanding a new research initiative partly due to its biodegradability, biocompartibility and their biological and physicochemical properties. Researchers take advantage of these properties in its potential application in medicine, pharmaceutics and biotechnology.