Insights into the Mode of Action of Chitosan as an Antibacterial Compound

Chitosan is a polysaccharide biopolymer that combines a unique set of versatile physicochemical and biological characteristics which allow for a wide range of applications. Although its antimicrobial activity is well documented, its mode of action has hitherto remained only vaguely defined. In this work we investigated the antimicrobial mode of action of chitosan using a combination of approaches, including in vitro assays, killing kinetics, cellular leakage measurements, membrane potential estimations, and electron microscopy, in addition to transcriptional response analysis. Chitosan, whose antimicrobial activity was influenced by several factors, exhibited a dose-dependent growth-inhibitory effect. A…

• DA
  Deutscher Akademischer Austauschdienst
• DF
  Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft

  Award: SFB670
• UB
  Universität Bremen
• RF
  Rheinische Friedrich-Wilhelms-Universität Bonn