Chitosan and Chitooligosaccharide: The Promising Non-Plant-Derived Prebiotics with Multiple Biological Activities

Author: mycolabadmin
6/17/2022
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Summary

Chitosan and chitooligosaccharide are natural compounds derived from crustacean shells and fungi that act as prebiotics to improve gut health. These compounds can fight bacteria and viruses, reduce inflammation, protect against oxidative stress, and help maintain healthy weight and blood sugar levels. They represent a promising, biodegradable alternative to synthetic pharmaceuticals with multiple health benefits.

Background

Chitin is the second-most abundant natural polysaccharide, found in crustacean exoskeletons and fungal cell walls. Chitosan and chitooligosaccharide (COS) are deacetylated chitin derivatives with improved physicochemical properties and biological activities compared to chitin. These compounds have emerged as promising non-plant-derived prebiotics with significant applications in food, medicine, and agriculture.

Objective

This review synthesizes current knowledge on the production, physicochemical properties, pharmacokinetics, and biological activities of chitosan and COS. The study particularly focuses on their prebiotic functions, antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and antimicrobial activities, analyzing the mechanisms and correlations between these activities and their molecular characteristics.

Results

Chitosan and COS demonstrate multiple biological activities including antioxidant effects through free radical scavenging and enzyme activation, anti-inflammatory effects via NF-κB and MAPK pathway regulation, and broad-spectrum antimicrobial activity against bacteria, fungi, and viruses. Both compounds exhibit prebiotic effects by selectively promoting beneficial bacteria while inhibiting pathogens, thereby improving gut microbiota composition and host metabolic health.

Conclusion

Chitosan and COS represent promising non-plant-derived prebiotics with diverse biological activities benefiting human health. Optimizing production technologies and further understanding their biological mechanisms will enhance their therapeutic potential. Future research should focus on enriching knowledge of their prebiotic functions and establishing clinical applications in metabolic disease prevention and treatment.

Published in:International Journal of Molecular Sciences,
Study Type:Review,
Source: PMID: 35743209, DOI: 10.3390/ijms23126761