Antimicrobial Chitosan and Chitosan Derivatives: A Review of the Structure–Activity Relationship

This review gives an updated overview of the current state-of-the-art for antimicrobial chitosan and chitosan derivatives and the effects of structural modifications on activity and toxicity. The various synthetic routes introduced for chemical modification of chitosan are discussed, and the most common functional groups are highlighted. Different analytical techniques used for structural characterization of the synthesized chitosan derivatives are discussed and critically evaluated. For the purpose of this review, the antimicrobial chitosan derivatives have been classified on the basis of the type of functional group conjugated to the polymer backbone. In each case, the influence of the degree of substitution…

• IC
  Icelandic Centre for Research

  Award: 179012-0611
• FF
  FP7 Food, Agriculture and Fisheries, Biotechnology