The effect of chitosan and other polycations on tight junction permeability in the human intestinal Caco-2 cell line(1).

Chitosan is a polycationic compound widely employed as dietary supplement and also present in pharmaceutical preparations. Although it has been approved for human consumption, its possible side effects have not been widely investigated and the available data in the literature are still controversial. Several polycationic substances have been shown to affect tight junction permeability in epithelial cell models in vitro.