• Bulletin of the Korean Chemical Society
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• v.34 no.8
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• pp.2441-2445
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• 2013

Chitosan non-woven fabrics were acetylated to improve their antimicrobial properties. The active chlorine content, antimicrobial properties, storage stability, and surface properties of acetylated chitosan non-woven fabrics were investigated. The active chlorine content of the fabrics increased upon reduction of the degree of the acetylation or increase in sodium hypochlorite concentration. Acetylated chitosan non-woven fabrics showed powerful antimicrobial activity by efficiently killing Escherichia coli and forming a growth inhibition zone for Staphylococcus aureus. Furthermore, scanning electron microscopy observations demonstrated that the acetylated chitosan non-woven fabrics were not damaged in sodium hypochlorite solution.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.16 no.12
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• pp.1984-1989
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• 2006

Deacetylated chitosan oligosaccharide (COS) had effective antiprotozoal activity against Trichomonas vaginalis (Minimal Inhibitory Concentration, MIC 0.25%), whereas 80% acetylated cas showed no antiprotozoal activity (MIC > 1 %). an the other hand, 80% acetylated cas showed growth stimulatory activity against the protozoa. When T. vaginalis was treated with 98% deacetylated COS at 0.25% concentration, the viability of the protozoa was rapidly decreased within 15 min, and the protozoa completely died within 40 min. Ultrastructural changes of trichomonads treated with COS included a loss of defined nuclear membrane and endoplasmic reticulum membranes, an increase in the number of free ribosome, vacuolation, and ultimately lysis of the cell membrane. These results indicate that deacetylated COS can be used as an antitrichomonal agent, although its lethal mechanism is not known.

• Microbiology and Biotechnology Letters
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• v.33 no.1
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• pp.9-15
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• 2005

Chitin deacetylase (CDA; EC 3.5.1.41) catalyzes the hydrolysis of N-acetamide bonds of chitin, converting it to chitosan. Chitosan has several applications in areas such as biomedicine, food ingredients, cosmetics, pharmaceuticals, and agriculture. In this paper, occurrence, assay and purification protocols, enzymatic characteristics, substrate specificity, and mode of action of microbial CDAs have been described. Several lines of evidence have substantiated the biological roles involved in cell wall formation and plant-pathogen interactions for fungal CDAs. The gene structure of CDAs has been compared with other family 4 carbohydrate esterases which deacetylate a wide variety of acetylated poly/oligo-saccharides. The use of CDAs for the conversion of chitin to chitosan, in contrast to the presently used chemical procedure, offers the possibility of a controlled, non-degradable process, resulting in the production of well-defined chitosan oligomers and polymers. Insect pathogen that can secrete high levels of chitin-metab­olizing enzymes including CDA can be a possible alternative for new pest management tools.

• 한국생물공학회:학술대회논문집
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• 2003.04a
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• pp.300-301
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• 2003

• Applied Biological Chemistry
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• v.48 no.1
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• pp.16-22
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• 2005

Many chitosanases, glycosyl hydrolases that catalyze the degradation of chitosan, have been found in microorganism. In this paper, classification of the enzyme has been described, which is based on the amino acid sequence (families) and splitting patterns (subclasses). Glycohydrolytic mechanisms such as inversion and retention of the substrate anomer are also discussed in context of the families. Interrelationship among the primary structure, clan, anomeric conversion and the splitting patterns has been suggested. In addition, advanced definition of chitosanase was introduced through the investigation of enzymatic products from partially N-acetylated chitosan as a substrate.