• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
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• v.20 no.4
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• pp.556-562
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• 2007

A total of 126 crossbred weanling pigs (average body weight of $6.3{\pm}0.3$ kg) were used to investigate the effect of chito-oligosaccharide (COS) on growth performance, nutrient digestibility, pH of gastro-intestinal tract (GI), intestinal and fecal microflora of young piglets. Pigs were allocated to three dietary treatments based on body weight and gender in a single factorial arrangement. Treatments were control (No COS), T1 (0.2% COS during starter (6-13 kg) and 0.1% COS during grower (13-30 kg) phases, and T2 (0.4% COS during starter (6-13 kg) and 0.3% COS during grower (13-30 kg) phases, respectively. Each treatment had 3 replicates and 14 pigs were raised in each pen. COS is a low molecular weight water-soluble chitosan that can be obtained from chitin of the crab shell after deacetylation with concentrated sodium hydroxide at high temperature and then further decomposition by chitosanase enzyme in the presence of ascorbic acid. For the starter and grower periods, there were no significant differences (p>0.05) in average daily gain (ADG) and feed to gain ratio among treatments. However, during the overall period (6-30 kg), T2 showed better (p<0.05) feed to gain ratio than other treatments. A digestibility study was conducted at the end of grower phase which showed improvement (p<0.05) in DM and crude fat digestibility in T2 over the control. At 25 kg body weight, 6 pigs per treatment (2 per replicate) were sacrificed to determine the effect of diets on pH and microbial count at different sections of the GI tract. The pH of the cecal contents in pigs fed 0.1% COS was higher (p<0.05) than in the other treatments. Total anaerobic bacterial number increased from cecum to rectum in all treatments. The weekly total bacterial counts showed higher (p<0.05) in feces of pigs fed COS than that of untreated pigs at the $8^{th}$ week. The number of fecal E. coli in untreated pigs at $4^{th}$ wk was 7.35 log CFU/g compared to 6.71 and 6.54 log CFU/g in 0.1 and 0.3% COS-treated pigs, respectively. Similarly, at $8^{th}$ wk, fecal clostridium spp. were lower in pigs fed 0.3% COS (5.43 log CFU/g) than in untreated pigs (6.26 log CFU/g). In conclusion, these results indicated that chito-oligosaccharide could improve feed efficiency in young pigs and inhibited the growth of harmful bacteria.

• Applied Biological Chemistry
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• v.40 no.2
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• pp.95-100
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• 1997

This study was aimed to survey inexpensive and reliable sources of chitinase from the animal origin. The stomach and its content of the broiler, the cod, the yellowtail and ${\beta}-glucuronidase$ from snail gut showed a considerable chitinolytic activity, while those of the bas didn't have any detectable activity. These crude enzymes was found to have both endo- and exochitinase activity. The effects of pH and temperature on the enzyme activity were variable. The hydrolytic products of colloidal chitin by the enzyme preparation from the broiler and the cod were chitooligomers having the degree of polymerization between 3 and 5. Furthermore we observed the chitosanolytic activity from these enzymes. In the degradation of chitosan the chyme of the broiler had the highest activity and ${\beta}-glucuronidase$ from snail gut followed. On the basis of the fact that the by-product of the broiler was not only commercially available but also the most potent in the endochitinase activity and the lowest in the exochitinase activity, we conclude that the gizzard and its chyme are considered as the most suitable source of the industrial chitinase among animals studied in this paper.

• Applied Biological Chemistry
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• v.39 no.6
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• pp.466-471
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• 1996

The survey on the chitinolytic activity of some plants was performed for the purpose of obtaining some reliable and inexpensive sources of chitinase. Rice, soybean for sprouting, kiwi fruit, almond and crude papain were investigated. Rice bran, seed coat of the soybean and the pericarp of kiwi fruit showed a considerable activity, while the bean after the removal of the seed coat, the mixture of rice integument and endosperm, polished rice, and defatted soybean powder didn't have any detectable activity. These crude enzymes have shown to contain both endo- and exochitinase activity. The effects of pH and temperature on the enzyme activity were variable. Furthermore we have observed the chitosanolytic activity from these enzyme Preparations. The rice bran had the highest activity in the enzymatic degradation of chitosan, and seed coat of soybean and the pericarp of kiwi fruit followed. On the basis of the fact that crude papain was not only commercially available but also the most potent in the endochitinase activity and the lowest in the exochitinase activity, we could conclude that crude papain was considered as the most suitable source of the chitinase among plants studied in this paper. In addition, rice bran was worth further investigation from the point of utilizing agricultural by-product.

• KSBB Journal
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• v.16 no.4
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• pp.321-326
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• 2001

The change of molecular weight inside and outside a capsule produced using coencapsulating technology was investigated. Chitosan and chitosanase were enveloped in this membrane and product released was a loaded the medium by the principle of size exclusion. The leakage of substrate corresponding to the agitation speed was controlled by adjusting the alginate and CaCO$_3$ concentrations. The optimal condition of alginate concentration and agitation speed were 0.5% and 40rpm, respectively. Membrane thickness and capsules diameter were 10 $\mu$m and approx. 3.0 - 1.5 mm, respectively. Molecular weight difference by concentration and alginate viscosity were of little significance. In accordance with the molecular weight distribution versus enzyme concentration relationship, low concentration of enzyme produced high molecular weight oligosaccharides. At a 1.5 mm capsule size the product diffusion rate to outer surface highest. The molecular weight distribution of the released oligosaccharides was ranged from 1000 to 6000 Da. More than 80% of the initial activity of encapsulated enzyme retained after 8hrs of reaction.

• Korean Journal of Food Science and Technology
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• v.30 no.4
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• pp.817-822
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• 1998

The authors found out that Aspergillus oryzae ATCC 22787 has the activity to produce a pretty strong chitosanase. Therefore, the strain was used for preparing the chitosan hydrolysate with high antimicrobial activity. The antimicrobial activity of the chitosan hydrolysate was increased gradually with decreasing of viscosity of the solution. The chitosan hydrolysate showing viscosity $5{\sim}10{\;}cp{\;}(30^{\circ}C)$ of 2% solution was revealed the most strong antimicrobial activity. The growth of the Bacillus sp. isolated from the fish meat paste was inhibited with the concentration of 50 ppm. The astringent taste of chitosan solution was reduced with decreasing of viscosity of the solution. The fish meat paste products containing 0.3% chitosan hydrolysate was extended its shelf life by 6 days stored at $15^{\circ}C$, 4 days at $20^{\circ}C$ and 2 days at $30^{\circ}C$.