Chitin and Collagen: Isolation, Purification, Characterization, and Applications, 2nd Edition

A special issue of Polysaccharides (ISSN 2673-4176).

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 28 February 2025 | Viewed by 2003

Special Issue Editor

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Chitin and collagen are the most important biopolymers in nature. These two biopolymers also exhibit similar hierarchical structural organizations. Chitin is the most abundant amino polysaccharide polymer occurring in nature and has been identified in bacteria, fungi, plants, and marine invertebrates. Chitin can also be enzymatically and and chemically deacetylated to chitosan, a more flexible and soluble biopolymer. It has many applications, including in medical, environmental, and agricultural sectors. Likewise, nature is a source of massive quantities of collagen, especially in marine organisms. Collagen is the main fibrous structural protein in the extracellular matrix and connective tissue of animals. It contributes greatly to biotechnology products and medical applications.

As a Guest Editor of this Special Issue, I invite you to submit recent innovations in these two biopolymers, including original works, reviews, short communications, and innovations in the biological sources and their promising applications

Dr. Azizur Rahman
Guest Editor

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Keywords

  • chitin
  • collagen
  • biopolymers
  • biomineralization
  • biomaterials
  • marine invertebrates
  • proteomics
  • polysaccharides
  • skeletal proteins
  • extracellular proteins

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Published Papers (3 papers)

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Research

12 pages, 3592 KiB  
Article
Gelation and Cryogelation of Chitosan: Origin of Low Efficiency of Diglycidyl Ethers as Cross-Linkers in Acetic Acid Solutions
by Yuliya Privar, Anna Skatova, Alexey Golikov, Andrey Boroda and Svetlana Bratskaya
Polysaccharides 2024, 5(4), 731-742; https://doi.org/10.3390/polysaccharides5040046 - 11 Nov 2024
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Abstract
Although diglycidyl ethers of glycols (DEs)—FDA-approved reagents for biomedical applications—were considered unsuitable for the fabrication of chitosan (CH) hydrogels and cryogels, we have recently shown that CH cross-linking with DEs is possible, but its efficiency depends on the nature of the acid used [...] Read more.
Although diglycidyl ethers of glycols (DEs)—FDA-approved reagents for biomedical applications—were considered unsuitable for the fabrication of chitosan (CH) hydrogels and cryogels, we have recently shown that CH cross-linking with DEs is possible, but its efficiency depends on the nature of the acid used to dissolve chitosan and pH. To elucidate the origin of the low efficiency of chitosan interactions with DEs in acetic acid solutions, we have put forward two hypotheses: (i) DEs are consumed in a side reaction with acetic acid; (ii) DE chain length strongly affects the probability of cross-linking. We then verified them using FT-IR spectroscopy, rheological measurements, and uniaxial compression tests. The formation of esters in acetic acid solutions was confirmed for ethylene glycol diglycidyl ether (EGDE) and poly(ethylene glycol) diglycidyl ether (PEGDE). By the 7th day of gelation at pH 5.5, the G’HCl/G’HAc ratio was 5.1 and 1.5 for EGDE and PEGDE, respectively, indicating that the loss of cross-linking efficiency in acetic acid solution was less pronounced for the long-chain cross-linker. Under conditions of cryotropic gelation, only weak cryogels were obtained from acetic acid solutions at a DE:CH molar ratio of 1:1, while stable cryogels were fabricated at a molar ratio of 1:20 from HCl solutions. Full article
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17 pages, 6087 KiB  
Article
Development of Chitosan-Coated Electrospun Poly(3-hydroxybutyrate) Biohybrid Materials for Growth and Long-Term Storage of Bacillus subtilis
by Vladimir Krastev, Nikoleta Stoyanova, Iliyana Valcheva, Donka Draganova, Mladen Naydenov, Mariya Spasova and Olya Stoilova
Polysaccharides 2024, 5(4), 698-714; https://doi.org/10.3390/polysaccharides5040044 - 9 Nov 2024
Viewed by 316
Abstract
Numerous bacterial species can both suppress plant pathogens and promote plant growth. By combining these bacteria with stabilizing substances, we can develop biological products with an extended shelf life, contributing to sustainable agriculture. Bacillus subtilis is one such bacterial species, possessing traits that [...] Read more.
Numerous bacterial species can both suppress plant pathogens and promote plant growth. By combining these bacteria with stabilizing substances, we can develop biological products with an extended shelf life, contributing to sustainable agriculture. Bacillus subtilis is one such bacterial species, possessing traits that enhance plant growth and offer effective protection, making it suitable for various applications. In this study, we successfully incorporated B. subtilis into hybrid materials composed of poly(3-hydroxybutyrate) (PHB) fibers coated with chitosan film. The polymer carrier not only supports the normal growth of the bioagent but also preserves its viability during long-term storage. For that reason, the impact of chitosan molecular weight on the dynamic viscosity of the solutions used for film formation, as well as the resulting film’s morphology, mechanical properties, and quantity of incorporated B. subtilis, along with their growth dynamics was investigated. SEM was used to examine the morphology of B. subtilis, electrospun PHB, and PHB mats coated with chitosan/B. subtilis. The results from mechanical tests demonstrate that chitosan film formation enhanced the tensile strength of the tested materials. Microbiological tests confirmed that the bacteria incorporated into the hybrid materials grow normally. The conducted viability tests demonstrate that the bacteria incorporated within the electrospun materials remained viable both after incorporation and following 90 days of storage. Moreover, the prepared biohybrid materials effectively inhibited the growth of the plant pathogenic strain Alternaria. Thus, the study provides more efficient and sustainable agricultural solutions by reducing reliance on synthetic materials and enhancing environmental compatibility through the development of advanced biomaterials capable of delivering active biocontrol agents. Full article
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22 pages, 5957 KiB  
Article
Impact of the Three-Dimensional Arrangements of Polyhydroxylated Crosslinkers on the Resulting Properties of Chitosan-Based Hydrogels
by Gema Díaz Bukvic, Martin Ojeda Henriquez, Agustín Brandon Rodríguez Vannini, María Marta Fidalgo, Andrés Gerardo Salvay, Ezequiel Rossi and María Inés Errea
Polysaccharides 2024, 5(3), 358-379; https://doi.org/10.3390/polysaccharides5030023 - 3 Aug 2024
Viewed by 818
Abstract
Chitosan was subjected to a crosslinking reaction with three polyhydroxylated diacids (glucaric (GlcA), mannaric (ManA), and mucic (MucA) acids) that only differ in the spatial orientation of their hydroxyl groups. This work aimed to obtain experimental evidence of the impact of the three-dimensional [...] Read more.
Chitosan was subjected to a crosslinking reaction with three polyhydroxylated diacids (glucaric (GlcA), mannaric (ManA), and mucic (MucA) acids) that only differ in the spatial orientation of their hydroxyl groups. This work aimed to obtain experimental evidence of the impact of the three-dimensional arrangement of the crosslinkers on the resulting properties of the products. In all the cases, the products were hydrogels, and their chemical structures were fully elucidated by FT-IR spectroscopy and conductometric titration. Thermogravimetric and morphological studies were also carried out. The specific surface area of all the products was similar and higher than that of native chitosan. Moreover, all hydrogels were characterized in terms of viscoelastic properties and long-term stability under external perturbation. Furthermore, their lead adsorption efficiency and swelling capacity were assessed. Despite the resemblant chemical structure in all the hydrogels, Ch/ManA exhibited the highest lead adsorption capacity, (Ch/ManA: 93.8 mg g−1, Ch/GlcA: 82.9 mg g−1, Ch/MucA: 79.2 mg g−1), while Ch/GlcA exhibited a remarkably higher swelling capacity (i.e., ~30% more than Ch/MucA and ~40% more than Ch/ManA). The results obtained herein evidenced that the selection of the polyhydroxylated crosslinker with the appropriate three-dimensional structure could be crucial to finely adjust the final materials’ features. Full article
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