Chitosan from Mushroom Improves Drought Stress Tolerance in Tomatoes.

Chitosan is a derivative of chitin that is one of the most abundant biopolymers in nature, found in crustacean shells as well as in fungi cell walls. Most of the commercially available chitosans are produced from the exoskeletons of crustaceans. The extraction process involves harsh chemicals, has limited potential due to the seasonal and limited supply and could cause allergic reactions.

Effects of an Extract of the Brown Seaweed on Postprandial Glycaemic Control in Healthy Subjects: A Randomized Controlled Study.

The effects of the consumption of an extract of the brown seaweed (BSW) on postprandial glucose and insulin responses to white bread were investigated in an acute, randomized, double-blind, three-arm, crossover, controlled trial in healthy, normoglycemic subjects. Sixteen subjects were administered either control white bread (50 g total digestible carbohydrates) or white bread with 500 mg or 1000 mg of BSW extract. Biochemical parameters were measured in venous blood over 3 h.

Comparison of edible brown algae extracts for the inhibition of intestinal carbohydrate digestive enzymes involved in glucose release from the diet.

Type II diabetes is considered the most common metabolic disorder in the developed world and currently affects about one in ten globally. A therapeutic target for the management of type II diabetes is the inhibition of α- glucosidase, an essential enzyme located at the brush border of the small intestinal epithelium. The inhibition of α-glucosidase results in reduced digestion of carbohydrates and a decrease in postprandial blood glucose.

Synergistic Antimicrobial Effect of Chitosan Polymers and Oligomers.

This study evaluated the efficacy of the combined application of well-characterized chitosan polymer (degree of acetylation = 10%, degree of polymerization [DPn] = 90, and dispersity [Ð] = 2.8) and oligomers (partially acetylated chitosan polymers and oligosaccharides [paCOS]) (DP = 2 to 17) on conidia germination and mycelial growth of , the major causal agent of Fusarium head blight in wheat. The polymer alone showed a higher inhibitory effect than the paCOS mixture alone, with half-maximal inhibitory concentrations of less than 50 µg ml and more than 100 µg ml, respectively.

New series of metal complexes by amphiphilic biopolymeric Schiff bases from modified chitosans: Preparation, characterization and effect of molecular weight on its biological applications.

To improve biological activity of chitosans, new Zn(II), Pd(II) and Pt(II) complexes with biopolymeric amphiphilic Schiff bases anchored in different molecular weight chitosans matrices modified with salicylaldehyde and glycidol were prepared. Salicylaldehyde was introduced to generate complexing Schiff base sites in the chitosans matrix while glycidol is intended to increase the water solubility of the resulting biopolymeric complexes. These novel complexes were characterized using various techniques and assayed for antimicrobial and antitumor activity.

Characterization, solubility and biological activity of amphihilic biopolymeric Schiff bases synthesized using chitosans.

Chitosans are versatile biopolymers recognized for their wide range of biological activities. However, the low solubility in neutral and basic solutions restricts the applications. Thus amphiphilic biopolymeric Schiff bases from chitosans, salicylaldehyde and glycidol were successfully synthesized and characterized using H-NMR, UV/Vis, FTIR, TG/DTG-DTA and tested for their antimicrobial activities against plant pathogenic microorganisms and human breast cancer cells (MCF-7).

Synthesis, Characterization and Biological Activities of Biopolymeric Schiff Bases Prepared with Chitosan and Salicylaldehydes and Their Pd(II) and Pt(II) Complexes.

In an attempt to enhance chitosan biological activities, biopolymeric Schiff bases of chitosan and different salicylaldehydes and their palladium(II) and platinum(II) complexes were synthesized and tested. The chemical structures of these derivatives were characterized using ¹H-NMR, FTIR spectroscopy and XPRD. Thermal analysis was done through TGA/DTG-DTA.