• Journal of Nutrition and Health
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• v.36 no.9
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• pp.908-917
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• 2003

It has been proposed that oxidative modification of LDL (oxLDL) plays a significant role in the pathogenicity of atherogenesis. We tested the hypothesis that chitin and chitosan may function as antioxidants with respect to 0.1 mg cholesterol/ml LDL incubated with 5 $\mu$ M Cu$^2$$^{+}$alone or in the P338Dl mouse macrophage system using L-ascorbic acid as a standard classical antioxidant. The degree of oxLDL formation was ascertained by the relative electrophoretic mobility (rEM) in the combination of thiobarbituric acid reactive substances (TBARS) levels, and the cytotoxicity of oxLDL was detected by macrophage viability. The oxLDL uptake and foam cell formation of macrophages were measured by Oil Red O staining. Incubation with Cu$^2$$^{+}$and macrophages increased rEM of LDL and stimulated TBARS formation. Culture of macrophages with LDL in the presence 5 $\mu$ M Cu$^2$$^{+}$induced macrophage death. In cell-free system 200 $\mu$g/ml water-soluble chitosan and chitosan-oligosaccharide blocked oxLDL formation. Water-soluble chitosan and chitosan-oligosaccharide blocked oxLDL formation near-completely relative to L-ascorbic acid, whereas water-soluble chitin and chitin-oligosaccharide had no measurable antioxidant effect. In macrophage system water-soluble chitosan and chitosan-oligosaccharide blocked oxidation of LDL with a significant increase in cell viability, and decreased TBARS in medium. As for the inhibitory effect on macrophage foam cell formation, chitosan and its oligosaccharide, but not watersoluble chitin, revealed the effectiveness. The endothelial expression of lectin-like oxLDL receptor-1 (LOX-1) was tested by Western blot analysis, and chitosan, chitosan-oligosaccharide and chitin-oligosaccharide blocked LOX-1 expression. These results indicate that water-soluble chitosan and its oligosaccharide showed the inhibitory effect on Cu$^2$$^{+}$-induced LDL oxidation of macrophages, and chitosan, chitosan-oligosaccharide and chitin-oligosaccharide had blocking effect on oxLDL receptor expression in the human umbilical vein endothelial system. Thus, water-soluble chitosan and its oligosaccharides possess anti-atherogenic potentials possibly through the inhibition of macrophage LDL oxidation or endothelial oxLDL receptor expression depending on chemical types.l types.

• Proceedings of the Korean Fiber Society Conference
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• 1997.10a
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• pp.76-80
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• 1997

• Fibers and Polymers
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• v.6 no.3
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• pp.219-223
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• 2005

Water-soluble chitin (WSC) was prepared by carefully deacetylating chitins to about $50\%$ of N-acetyl content. Topical formulations based on WSC were prepared and their effects on wound healing were evaluated on a rabbit ear model. Full-thickness, open skin wounds were made on the ears of rabbits and WSC ointments were embedded in the open wounds. The application of WSC ointments significantly accelerated wound healing and wound contraction. The areas of epithelial-ization and granulation tissues in WSC ointment group are remarkably larger than those in control group (no treatment) and in placebo group (treated with ointment-base materials). A large number of grown granulation tissues including dense fibroblast deposition were observed under the thickened epithelium of the wound treated with WSC ointments. The number of inflammatory cells in WSC ointment group was significantly decreased compared with those in control and placebo groups, indicating that WSC would give low stimuli to wounds and prevent excessive scar formation. Neovascularization was the most prominent in WSC ointment group. Wound contraction in WSC ointment group was much larger than those in control and placebo groups. Overall results demonstrate that the topical formulation based on WSC is considered to become an excellent dressing as a wound healing assistant.

• Journal of the Korean Chemical Society
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• v.45 no.4
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• pp.334-340
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• 2001

The water soluble carboxymethyl-chitin (CM-chitin) has been well known to be very useful to the cosmetic field as a moisturizer, a smoothener, a cell activater and a cleaner for face skin conditioning. In this study, the preparation process of CM-chitin was simplified with elimination of some procedures in the conventional method. The chitin powder was mixed with sodium hydroxide solution. And then a mixture of sodium monochloroacetate (or monochloroacetic acid) and isopropyl alcohol (or a mixed solution with water and isopropyl alcohol) was added to thorough the agitation and the freezing during 16 hours. The CM-chitin with a high degree of substitution by the improved process was obtained.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.18 no.4
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• pp.759-766
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• 2008

Among more than a hundred colonies of fungi isolated from soil samples, DY-52 has been screened as an extracellular chitin deacetylase (CDA) producer. The isolate was further identified as Mortierella sp., based on the morphological properties and the nucleotide sequence of its 18S rRNA gene. The fungus exhibited maximal growth in yeast peptone glucose (YPD) liquid medium containing 2% of glucose at pH 5.0 and $28^{\circ}C$ with 150 rpm. The CDA activity of DY-52 was maximal (20 U/mg) on the 3rd day of culture in the same medium. The CDA was inducible by addition of glucose and chitin. The enzyme contained two isoforms of molecular mass 50 kDa and 59 kDa. This enzyme showed a maximal activity at pH 5.5 and $60^{\circ}C$. In addition, it had a pH stability range of 4.5-8.0 and a temperature stability range of $4-40^{\circ}C$. The enzyme was enhanced in the presence of $Co^{2+}$ and $Ca^{2+}$. Among various substrates tested, WSCT-50 (water-soluble chitin, degree of deacetylation 50%), glycol chitin, and crab chitosan (DD 71-88%) were deacetylated. Moreover, the CDA can handle N-acetylglucosamine oligomers $(GlcNAc)_{2-7}$.

• Applied Biological Chemistry
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• v.35 no.4
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• pp.265-271
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• 1992

Derivatives (microcrystalline chitin, carboxymethylchitin, acetylchitin, N-acetylchitosan, ethylchitosan and chitosansulfate) of chitin and chitosan were synthesized, and the physicochemical properties of the derivatives were compared with those of chitin and chitosan. Carboxymethylchitin was soluble in water or acetic acid, whereas chitosan and ethylchitosan were soluble in acetic acid alone. The water binding capacity of N-acetylchitosan was two fold higher than that of chitin. Lipid binding capacity of carboxymethylchitin was the highest, holding 1800%, and that of chitin was the lowest, holding 511% among the derivatives. Carboxymethylchitin among the derivatives showed the highest emulsifying capacity, however chitin and chitosan didn't produce emulsions. Dye binding capacity of acetylchitin was the highest, holding 0.93 mg dye/g sample (Blue R-250) and 0.96 mg dye/g sample (Red No. 2). It was concluded that carboxymethylchitin is a good emulsifier and N-acetylchitosan, chitosansulfate and chitosan are suitable for use as dye absorbents.

• Microbiology and Biotechnology Letters
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• v.23 no.1
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• pp.43-46
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• 1995

For using additives of foods, or cosmetics, a strain A80 producing blue pigment was isolated from soil. The strain A80 was identified as a strain of Azotobacter vinelandii based on morphological and physiological characteristics. The strain A80 was extracellulaly secreted the blue pigment on PYG agar plate, but not secreted it into PYG broth. And then, the strain A80 was extracellulaly secreted the blue pigment in PYG broth containing 2.0% chitin, while the strain A80 was not secreted the blue pigment in PYG broth containing 2.0% chitin and 1% NaCl simultaniously.

• Proceedings of the Korean Fiber Society Conference
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• 1999.04a
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• pp.28-31
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• 1999

• Journal of the Korean Applied Science and Technology
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• v.13 no.2
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• pp.85-92
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• 1996

Chitosan itself has been prepared using chitin, one of the most abundant compounds in nature, as a starting material. We have synthesized the water-soluble chitosan derivative, N-dithiocarboxy chitosan sodium salt, through the reaction of water-soluble chitosan with carbon disulfide in the presence of alkali metal hydroxide. To elucidate this natural polymer capacity of adsorbing heavy metal ions, we have performed adsorption experiments using the water-soluble chitosan derivative various average molecular weight and of different percent contents of sulfur. The effect of pH, adsorption time and temperature on adsorption efficiency was also studied. The adsorbent derived from water-soluble chitosan of average molecular weight ranging $9,000{\sim}120,000$ was shown to have the highest capacity of adsorbing heavy metal ions. On the whole, adsorbing efficiency was increased as the reaction time goes longer and also increased as the reaction temperture goes higer in temperture range of $15^{\circ}C{\sim}45^{\circ}C$. The adsorption capacity at various pH, however, was appeared to vary depending on the heavy metal ions studied Judging from these finding, water-soluble N-dithiocarboxy chitosan sodium salt, a derivative of a biodegradable nature polymer, is believed to be a potential adsorbent for heavy metal ions since it not only is shown to lower the concentration of heavy metal ions to below the drainage quality standard, but also it would not cause acidification and hardening of soil which is one of the detrimental effects of synthetic macromolecular adsorbents present.

• The Korean Journal of Nuclear Medicine
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• v.32 no.4
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• pp.391-395
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• 1998

Purpose: Chitin and chitosan are nontoxic natural chelators that chelate radiostrontium effectively. The purpose of this study was to compare radiostrontium chelation of chitin and chitosan with that of well known chemical chelators, namely EDTA and DTPA. Materials and Methods: The chelaton rates of chitin, chitosan, EDTA and DTPA were compared using a column chromatography method (Sephadex G-25M, Sweden). Three kinds of chitins and four kinds of chitosans were used. All of them were water soluble. Results: Phosphated chitosan showed the highest chelation yield of 97% at pH 7. All of chitins, chitosans, EDTA and DTPA showed chelation yield of more than 90% independent of varing pH level. Conclusion: Chitin and chitosan have similar chelation rate as compared with EDTA and DTPA.