Pharmaceutical Applications of Chitosan Extracted from Local Marine Sources

Abstract

Identification of chitosan from new local marine sources could be a great challenge for research in terms of using this biopolymer in various pharmaceutical, environmental or food applications. In the present study, two chitosan powder samples extracted from processed shrimps waste and Rapana venosa eggs capsules were compared with a food supplement sample based on chitosan, from the point of view of spectral analyses (FTIR spectroscopy), of their solubility in dilute acetic acid solutions (1 %), insoluble substances content, and fats binding capacity. In order to determine the fat binding capacity of the tested chitosan samples, different types of cold pressed vegetables oils (olive oil, sunflower oil, soybean oil, argan oil and coconut oil) and animal fats (butter and pork lard) were used. The present study highlighted that the chitosan samples, chemically extracted with low financial efforts by waste recovery of crustaceans and mollusks from Romanian Black Sea coast, could be an important source with high potential. The obtained results showed a good fat binding capacity, especially for chitosan samples extracted from shrimps waste compared to the chitosan sample chosen as reference. These compounds may be successfully used in pharmaceutical applications, in various formulations as dietary supplement, or as useful therapeutic component in the hypocholesterolemia treatment or in prevention of cardiovascular risk, due to their good solubility in dilute acidic solutions and lower values of insoluble content.

Micromorphological details and identification of chitinous wall structures in Rapana venosa (Gastropoda, Mollusca) egg capsules

“…The presence of chitosan in R. venosa egg capsules has been reported in our previous studies 16,17 . Initially, we believed that chitosan and chitin may be both present in the micromorphology of the walls, with chitosan predominantly found in the superficial layers.…”

“…Compared with those spectra, small shifts and weaker bands were observed in the spectra of R-Ch and R. venosa egg capsule samples, in which the vibrations were assigned to the carbonyl groups of amides. Additionally, stretching vibrations specific to amino groups in the structure of chitosan were identified in the spectra of all samples, while in the spectra of R-Ch and R. venosa egg capsules, the absorption bands were less intense 17 . The peaks between 1613 and 1683 cm −1 (Table 3), detected in the spectra of all chitosan samples, were assigned to the amino groups specific to the chitosan structure 19,20 .…”

“…The chitosan obtained from R. venosa egg capsules had a molar mass of 1.5-3 kDa, which was significantly lower than the molar mass of chitosan obtained from shrimp (350-490 kDa) or the molar mass of commercial chitosan (50-190 kDa) 18 . In addition, its solubility in acetic acid (1%) and its toxicity were different than those of standard chitosan 17,18 .The capsule structure showed fluorescent emissions (Table 3) of yellow-green www.nature.com/scientificreports/ (λ ex = 450-490 nm, λ em = 515-520 nm) and red (λ ex = 510-550 nm; λ em = 580-590 nm). The same effect was observed for granular chitosan obtained from these capsules (after deproteinization).…”

“…Our previous structural analysis [16][17][18] using infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR) in transmission mode performed on R; venosa egg capsules and on chitosan samples obtained from R. venosa egg capsules after deproteinization (R-Ch) and from shrimp waste (P-Ch) and on commercial chitosan (C-Ch) showed the presence of stretching vibrations assigned to carbonyl from the acetamide group of chitin in the spectra of the C-Ch and P-Ch samples. Compared with those spectra, small shifts and weaker bands were observed in the spectra of R-Ch and R. venosa egg capsule samples, in which the vibrations were assigned to the carbonyl groups of amides.…”

Measurement of the Clinical Effects of a Marine Fish Extract on Periodontal Healing—A Preliminary Clinical Interventional Study

“…After full-mouth disinfection, periodontal non-surgical therapy can include the use of products having anti-inflammatory effects, increasing the host's defense, analgesic effects, the acceleration of cellular regeneration, an increase in protein synthesis, and the acceleration of tissue healing or bone regeneration [9]. The main objective of non-surgical periodontal regeneration treatment involves the obtainment of a biologically active complex of natural compounds [10][11][12] aimed at assisting periodontal healing. In this context, natural biological chemical compounds are increasingly preferred as treatment alternatives.…”