Control of Functions of Chitin and Chitosan by Chemical Modification

Abstract

Chitin and chitosan, which are natural polysaccharides, have various chemical and biological functions. These functions strongly depend on the amino groups of chitin and chitosan. Therefore, chemical modification of the amino groups are expected to control the function of chitin and chitosan. Many reports on the chemical modifications of chitin and chitosan have been published and we have also studied the chemical modifications of chitosan from the standpoint of the control of chemical and biological functions of chitosan. In this article, we will introduce some studies on the control of functions of chitin and chitosan by chemical modification.