In this rubric we present you scientific news from the world of chitin and chitosan. Monthly you can find recent publications. We hope to arouse your interest in this biopolymer or to help you out. If you have any comments or if you do chitin or chitosan research and you want to publish your article on this page,
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Radiotherapy remains one of the main pillars of modern cancer treatment. However, despite advances in precision targeting, damage to surrounding healthy tissue continues to pose a significant clinical problem - especially in thoracic malignancies. In such cases, the lungs represent a particularly radiosensitive organ.
Chitosan is no longer just an interesting biopolymer for the food or wound healing sectors. It is gaining attention in many other fields as well – particularly due to its radical scavenging, hematopoietic, and cytoprotective properties. One of the most promising areas of application: radioprotection, i.e., the protection of tissue from damage caused by ionizing radiation.
Chitosan is a versatile biopolymer that is gaining increasing importance in the food and packaging sectors. With its antimicrobial properties, biodegradability, and film-forming capacity, it offers sustainable solutions for shelf-life extension and plastic-free packaging. However, its effectiveness is not determined by degree of deacetylation (DDA) and molecular weight (MW) alone – rather, it results from a combination of chemical and physical characteristics that determine its suitability for different applications.
Treating infected burn wounds - especially those involving antibiotic-resistant bacteria - remains a major challenge in modern medicine. A research team has now introduced a groundbreaking solution: a hydrogel-based microneedle system that combines so-called “high-entropy nanozymes” with chitosan.
This novel technology not only combats resistant pathogens but also actively promotes wound healing—with a special focus on chitosan’s role as a key material.
Mastitis, an inflammatory disease of the mammary gland, is one of the most significant health problems in dairy farming worldwide. It leads to considerable economic losses due to reduced milk yield, discarded milk, animal loss, and increased treatment costs. In addition, mastitis severely impacts animal welfare: the disease causes pain, fever, systemic inflammation, and long-term damage to udder tissue. In severe cases, euthanasia may be necessary.
Chitosan, a bioactive polysaccharide derived from crustacean shells, is gaining increasing attention in animal nutrition research. Its natural properties – antimicrobial, immunomodulatory, and digestive-enhancing – make it a promising candidate for use as a feed additive in livestock production. Studies suggest that it can improve both performance parameters and feed utilization efficiency. A recent study explored the effects of chitosan in a rabbit fattening model, with promising results that may also be applicable to other animal species.