Antifungal Activity of Chitosan against in Planktonic and Biofilm Forms: A Therapeutic Strategy in the Future?

Histoplasmosis is a respiratory disease caused by , a dimorphic fungus, with high mortality and morbidity rates, especially in immunocompromised patients. Considering the small existing therapeutic arsenal, new treatment approaches are still required. Chitosan, a linear polysaccharide obtained from partial chitin deacetylation, has anti-inflammatory, antimicrobial, biocompatibility, biodegradability, and non-toxicity properties.

Topical reinforcement of the cervical mucus barrier to sperm.

Close to half of the world's pregnancies are still unplanned, reflecting a clear unmet need in contraception. Ideally, a contraceptive would provide the high efficacy of hormonal treatments, without systemic side effects. Here, we studied topical reinforcement of the cervical mucus by chitosan mucoadhesive polymers as a form of female contraceptive.

Assessment of Oligo-Chitosan Biocompatibility toward Human Spermatozoa.

The many interesting properties of chitosan polysaccharides have prompted their extensive use as biomaterial building blocks, for instance as antimicrobial coatings, tissue engineering scaffolds, and drug delivery vehicles. The translation of these chitosan-based systems to the clinic still requires a deeper understanding of their safety profiles. For instance, the widespread claim that chitosans are spermicidal is supported by little to no data.

Metagenome and metaproteome analyses of microbial communities in mesophilic biogas-producing anaerobic batch fermentations indicate concerted plant carbohydrate degradation.

Microbial communities in biogas batch fermentations, using straw and hay as co-substrates, were analyzed at the gene and protein level by metagenomic and metaproteomic approaches. The analysis of metagenomic data revealed that the Clostridiales and Bacteroidales orders were prevalent in the community. However, the number of sequences assigned to the Clostridiales order decreased during fermentation, whereas the number of sequences assigned to the Bacteroidales order increased.