Galactosylated derivatives of low-molecular-weight chitosan: production and properties

Chitosan, a binary heteropolysaccharide consisting of 2-acetamide-2-deoxy-beta-D-glucopyranose and 2-amino-2-deoxy-beta-D-glucopyranose residues linked in different proportions via beta-glycosidic bonds. The presence of a primary amino group in the chitosan structure allows for the synthesis of various derivatives. The procedure of obtaining activated N-hydroxysuccinimide esters with the use of lactobionic acid was applied to obtain galactosylated derivatives of low-molecular-weight chitosan with a substitution degree varying from 8 to 23%. The properties of these derivatives (viscosity, solubility, and biodegradability) were studied. These derivatives are well soluble at pH values greater than the acidity constant of amino groups of chitosan (6.5). Broadening the pH range towards increase and the presence of galactose residues allows these derivatives to be used in working with biological objects.     

Enzymatic grafting of a natural product onto chitosan to confer water solubility under basic conditions

Chitosan is a natural biopolymer whose rich amine functionality confers water solubility at low pH. At higher pH's (greater than 6. 5), the amines are deprotonated and chitosan is insoluble. To attain water solubility under basic conditions we enzymatically grafted the hydrophilic compound chlorogenic acid onto chitosan. Despite its name, chlorogenic acid is a nonchlorinated phenolic natural product that has carboxylic acid and hydroxyl functionality. The enzyme in this study was tyrosinase, which converts a wide range of phenolic substrates into electrophilic o-quinones. The o-quinones are freely diffusible and can undergo reaction with the nucleophilic amino groups of chitosan. Using slightly acidic conditions (pH = 6), it was possible to modify chitosan under homogeneous conditions. When the amount of chlorogenic acid used in the modification reaction exceeded 30% relative to chitosan's amino groups, the modified chitosan was observed to be soluble under both acidic and basic conditions, and to have a pH window of insolubility at near neutral pH. 1H NMR spectra confirmed that chitosan was chemically modified, although the degree of modification was low. Copyright 1999 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.     

Galactosylated derivatives of low-molecular-weight chitosan: Obtaining and properties

Chitosan, a binary heteropolysaccharide consisting of 2-acetamide-2-deoxy-β-D-glucopyranose and 2-amino-2-deoxy-β-D-glucopyranose residues linked in different proportions via β-glycosidic bonds. The presence of a primary amino group in the chitosan structure allows for the synthesis of various derivatives. The procedure of obtaining activated N-hydroxysuccinimide esters with the use of lactobionic acid was applied to obtain galactosylated derivatives of low-molecular-weight chitosan with a substitution degree varying from 8 to 23%. The properties of these derivatives (viscosity, solubility, and biodegradability) were studied. These derivatives are well soluble at pH values greater than the acidity constant of amino groups of chitosan (6.5). Broadening the pH range towards increase and the presence of galactose residues allows these derivatives to be used in working with biological objects.     

Determination of the degree of N-acetylation (DA) of chitin and chitosan in the presence of water by first derivative ATR FTIR spectroscopy

A new method for the determination of the degree of N-acetylation (DA) of chitin and chitosan is described using first derivative diamond ATR FTIR spectroscopy. Applying the derivative values of the amide III band at 1327 cm⁻¹ and the CH deformation band of the N-acetyl group at 1383 cm⁻¹ as measure of the N-acetyl content of the sample in relation to the derivative value of the bridge oxygen vibration at 1163 cm⁻¹ as internal standard, a linear correlation to the results of first derivative UV spectroscopy was obtained and confirmed by elemental analysis and Raman spectroscopy. The described method allows the determination of the degree of N-acetylation of chitosan and chitin in the presence of water thus making drying procedures unnecessary.     

Exploring N-imidazolyl-O-carboxymethyl chitosan for high performance gene delivery

Chitosan shows good biocompatibility and biodegradability, but the poor water solubility and low transfection efficiency hinder its applications as a gene delivery vector. We here report the detailed synthesis and characterization of a novel ampholytical chitosan derivative, N-imidazolyl-O-carboxymethyl chitosan (IOCMCS), used for high performance gene delivery. After chemical modification, the solubility of the resulting polymer is enhanced, and the polymer is soluble in a wide pH range (4-10). Gel electrophoresis study reveals the strong binding ability between plasmid DNA and the IOCMCS. Moreover, the IOCMCS does not induce remarkable cytotoxicity against human embryonic kidney (HEK293T) cells. The cell transfection results with HEK293T cells using the IOCMCS as gene delivery vector demonstrate the high transfection efficiency, which is dependent on the degree of imidazolyl substitution. Therefore, the IOCMCS is a promising candidate as the DNA delivery vector in gene therapy due to its high solubility, high gene binding capability, low cytotoxicity, and high gene transfection efficiency.     

Effect of transglutaminase and 1-ethyl-3-(3-dimethylaminopropyl) carbodiimide on the solubility of fish gelatin–chitosan films

The possibility of decreasing the water solubility of the films made from fish gelatin and chitosan by modification with TGase was investigated. The effectiveness of enzymatic treatment was also compared with chemical crosslinking using EDC. The treatment of the components with TGase in concentration of 0.2 mg/ml of the film-forming solution limited the solubility of the films at 25 °C from 65% to 28% at pH 6 and from 96% to 37% at pH 3. After 15 min of heating at 100 °C, the modified films were soluble in 23% at pH 6 and in 41% at pH 3. Further decrease of the solubility of the fish gelatin–chitosan films was achieved when enzymatic modification was conducted in the presence of 5–10 mM DTT; the solubility was about twice lower than that without DTT at both studied temperatures and pH values. Generally, the composite films modified with EDC in concentration of 30 mM were distinctly less soluble than films made from the components modified with TGase in the presence of DTT.     

tert-Butyldimethylsilyl O-protected chitosan and chitooligosaccharides: useful precursors for N-modifications in common organic solvents

An efficient and chemoselective procedure for preparing highly organosoluble 3,6-di-O-tert-butyldimethylsilyl (TBDMS)-chitosan and chitooligosaccharides is reported. The selective modification of the chitooligosaccharides with 0.50 degree of N-acetylation was achieved by using TBDMSCl as the reagent in combination with DMF/imidazole. These protocols yielded partly TBDMS-substituted chitooligosaccharides that were subsequently reacted with TBDMSOTf in dichloromethane in order to silylate the remaining, more sterically hindered hydroxyl groups. In the case of the chitosan polymer, a mesylate salt of chitosan was silylated using TBDMSCl in DMSO, yielding full silylation of the hydroxyl groups without using N-protection groups. The silyl-protected polymers displayed excellent solubility in a number of common organic solvents. The 3,6-di-O-TBDMS-chitosan and chitooligosaccharides were reacted with acetic anhydride, and deprotected to obtain the corresponding N-acetyl derivatives (chitin and chitinoligosaccharide). Our results show that the readily prepared 3,6-di-O-TBDMS-chitosan and chitooligosaccharides are useful precursors for selective N-modifications in common organic solvents.     

Nonnatural branched polysaccharides: synthesis and properties of chitin and chitosan having disaccharide maltose branches

Synthesis and properties of chitin and chitosan derivatives having beta-maltoside branches at C-6 have been studied. Chitosan was first transformed into an organosoluble acceptor having a reactive group only at C-6, 3-O-acetyl-2-N-phthaloyl-6-O-trimethylsilylchitosan. Glycosylation with an ortho ester from d-maltose was performed successfully at room temperature in dichloromethane in the presence of trimethylsilyl trifluoromethanesulfonate as the catalyst. The degree of substitution could be controlled by the reaction conditions and was up to 0.56. Full deprotection gave chitosan with maltoside branches, and the subsequent N-acetylation resulted in the formation of the corresponding chitin derivative. The introduced disaccharide unit improved hydrophilic properties considerably compared to monosaccharide units as confirmed by high solubility in water and moisture absorption and retention ability. The enzymatic degradability and antimicrobial activity were moderate probably because of the bulky nature of the branches.     

Chitosan derivatives obtained by chemical modifications for biomedical and environmental applications

Chitosan is a natural based polymer, obtained by alkaline deacetylation of chitin, which presents excellent biological properties such as biodegradability and immunological, antibacterial and wound-healing activity. Recently, there has been a growing interest in the chemical modification of chitosan in order to improve its solubility and widen its applications. The main chemical modifications of chitosan that have been proposed in the literature are reviewed in this paper. Moreover, these chemical modifications lead to a wide range of derivatives with a broad range of applications. Recent and relevant examples of the distinct applications, with particular emphasis on tissue engineering, drug delivery and environmental applications, are presented.     

Studies on chitosan: 2. Solution stability and reactivity of partially N-acetylated chitosan derivatives in aqueous media

The stability of the solutions of partially N-acetylated chitosans was studied by two methods: (1) 1% solutions of the chitosan derivatives in 0.1 M aqueous acetic acid were added dropwise to buffer solutions with pH from 8.6 to 12 and to a 0.1 M NaOH solution; (2) to each 0.5% solution of the derivatives in 0.1 M acetic acid was added the desired amount of a 1 M NaOH solution. The stability data obtained were summarized with respect to the degree of N-acetylation. It was found that the solutions of the derivatives with more than 50% acetyl content were stable even in alkaline conditions and the gelation and precipitation of the solutions did not occur. The reactivity of the derivatives with the degree of N-acetylation of more than 50% was studied using methyl 4-azidobenzoimidate (MABI) and ethylene glycol diglycidyl ether in homogeneous states. It was found that MABI reacted with amino groups of the chitosans only at neutral pH and glycidyl groups reacted at neutral and alkaline pH. It seems that these unique properties of chitosans with a degree of N-acetylation of more than 50% will enable us to prepare new chitosan derivatives.     

N-乙酰化反应制备水溶性壳聚糖研究

将高度脱乙酰化的壳聚糖在均相介质中进行N-乙酰化反应,制备水溶性壳聚糖。研究了制备工艺条件对脱乙酰度及水溶性的影响。结果表明,在乙酸—乙醇均相体系中进行乙酰化反应时,壳聚糖与乙酸酐的质量比为1∶0.6,反应温度控制在20℃,反应时间为8 h时,产品的脱乙酰度在50%左右,获得了水溶性良好的N-乙酰化壳聚糖。     

Proteinase inhibitor synthesis in tomato leaves : induction by chitosan oligomers and chemically modified chitosan and chitin

Soluble chemical derivatives of chitin and chitosan including ethylene glycol chitin, nitrous acid-modified chitosan, glycol chitosan, and chitosan oligomers, produced from chitosan by limited hydrolysis with HCl, were found to possess proteinase inhibitor inducing activities when supplied to young excised tomato (Lycopersicon esculentum var Bonnie Best) plants. Nitrous acid-modified chitosans and ethylene glycol chitin exhibited about 2 to 3 times the activity of acid hydrolyzed chitosan and 15 times more activity than glycol chitosan. The parent chitin and chitosans are insoluble in water or neutral buffers and cannot be assayed. Glucosamine and its oligomers from degree of polymerization = 2 through degree of polymerization = 6 were purified from acid-fragmented chitosan and assayed. The monomer was inactive and dimer and trimer exhibited weak activities. Tetramer possessed higher activity and the larger pentamer and hexamer oligomers were nearly as active as the total hydrolyzed mixture. None of the fragments exhibited more than 2% acetylation (the limits of detection). The contents of the acid-fragmented mixture of oligomers was chemically N-acetylated to levels of 13% and 20% and assayed. The N-acetylation neither inhibited nor enhanced the proteinase inhibitor inducing activity of the mixture. These results, along with recent findings by others that chitinases and chitosanases are present in plants, provide further evidence for a possible role of soluble chitosan fragments as signals to activate plant defense responses.     

Preparation and characterization of chitosan-based nanoparticles

The present investigation describes the synthesis and characterization of novel biodegradable nanoparticles based on chitosan for biomedical applications. Natural di- and tricarboxylic acids were used for intramolecular cross-linking of the chitosan linear chains. The condensation reaction of carboxylic groups and pendant amino groups of chitosan was performed by using water-soluble carbodiimide. This method allows the formation of polycations, polyanions, and polyampholyte nanoparticles. The prepared nanosystems were stable in aqueous media at low pH, neutral, and mild alkaline conditions. The structure of products was determined by NMR spectroscopy, and the particle size was identified by laser light scattering (DLS) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM) measurements. It was found that particle size depends on the pH, but at a given pH, it was independent of the ratio of cross-linking and the cross-linking agent. Particle size measured by TEM varied in the range 60-280 nm. In the swollen state, the average size of the particles measured by DLS was in the range 270-370 nm depending on the pH. The biodegradable cross-linked chitosan nanoparticles, as solutions or dispersions in aqueous media, might be useful for various biomedical applications.     

A simple preparation of half N-acetylated chitosan highly soluble in water and aqueous organic solvents

A simple and improved method of preparing highly soluble chitosan (half N-acetylated chitosan) was developed using a series of chitosan samples of low molecular weights, and the solubility of the half N-acetylated chitosan in water and organic solvents was investigated in detail. To reduce the molecular weight, chitosan was treated with NaBO3 under the condition that chitosan was homogeneously dissolved in aqueous acetic acid. Weight-average molecular weights of the obtained chitosan samples were determined using a size-exclusion chromatography system equipped with a low-angle laser light-scattering photometer. Each chitosan sample was then N-acetylated with acetic anhydride under the condition that chitosan was homogeneously dissolved in aqueous acetic acid again. The water solubility of the half N-acetylated chitosan thus prepared increased with decreasing molecular weight. From 1H NMR spectroscopy, it was suggested that the sequence of N-acetylglucosamine and glucosamine residues was random. The solubility of the half N-acetylated chitosan of low molecular weight was rather high even in aqueous dimethylacetamide and dimethylsulfoxide.     

Chitosan and lactic acid-grafted chitosan nanoparticles as carriers for prolonged drug delivery

Nanoparticles of approximately 10nm in diameter made with chitosan or lactic acid-grafted chitosan were developed for high drug loading and prolonged drug release. A drug encapsulation efficiency of 92% and a release rate of 28% from chitosan nanoparticles over a 4-week period were demonstrated with bovine serum protein. To further increase drug encapsulation, prolong drug release, and increase chitosan solubility in solution of neutral pH, chitosan was modified with lactic acid by grafting D,L-lactic acid onto amino groups in chitosan without using a catalyst. The lactic acid-grafted chitosan nanoparticles demonstrated a drug encapsulation efficiency of 96% and a protein release rate of 15% over 4 weeks. With increased protein concentration, the drug encapsulation efficiency decreased and drug release rate increased. Unlike chitosan, which is generally soluble only in acid solution, the chitosan modified with lactic acid can be prepared from solutions of neutral pH, offering an additional advantage of allowing proteins or drugs to be uniformly incorporated in the matrix structure with minimal or no denaturization.     

季磷盐壳聚糖的合成及其水溶性研究

目的:对壳聚糖进行化学改性,提高其水溶性并扩大其在医药领域的应用范围。方法:在均相体系中HOBt和EDC的催化下,采用酰化缩合反应将小分子磷盐连接到壳聚糖主链上,合成不同取代度的壳聚糖季磷盐,并用核磁共振氢谱、红外光谱、X-射线衍射谱表征产物的结构以及结晶性能。测定壳聚糖季磷盐的水溶解度及溶液的pH稳定性。结果:合成得到12.1%和21.5%两种不同取代度的壳聚糖季磷盐。与壳聚糖相比,两种不同取代度的壳聚糖季磷盐的结晶性能均有所下降,水溶性有很大的提高,并且溶液的pH稳定性显著增强。结论:使用小分子磷盐对壳聚糖进行化学改性得到水溶性良好且具有一定pH稳定性的壳聚糖衍生物,在用作药物输送载体及抗菌材料等领域内必将具有广阔的应用前景。     

季磷盐壳聚糖的合成及其水溶性研究

目的：对壳聚糖进行化学改性,提高其水溶性并扩大其在医药领域的应用范围。方法：在均相体系中HOBt和EDC的催化下,采用酰化缩合反应将小分子磷盐连接到壳聚糖主链上,合成不同取代度的壳聚糖季磷盐,并用核磁共振氢谱、红外光谱、x一射线衍射谱表征产物的结构以及结晶性能。测定壳聚糖季磷盐的水溶解度及溶液的pH稳定性。结果：合成得到12．1％和21．5％两种不同取代度的壳聚糖季磷盐。与壳聚糖相比,两种不同取代度的壳聚糖季磷盐的结晶性能均有所下降,水溶性有很大的提高,并且溶液的pH稳定性显著增强。结论：使用小分子磷盐对壳聚糖进行化学改性得到水溶性良好且具有一定pH稳定性的壳聚糖衍生物,在用作药物输送栽体及抗茵材料等领域内必将具有广阔的应用前景。     

Partition of protein (lipase) through insoluble complex with amphiphiles

Summary An insoluble complex of soluble protein (lipase fraction) and commercially available amphiphile was prepared. The extraction of protein from complex revealed that the protein interacted with amphiphile was specific. The capacity of a protein to form the insoluble complex depended on its solubility and on amphiphile used in preparing solution. It suggested that the commercially available amphiphiles might be effective for partitioning soluble protein.     

Postsynthetic derivatization of fluorophores with alpha-sulfo-beta-alanine dipeptide linker. Application to the preparation of water-soluble cyanine and rhodamine dyes

A straightforward method to enhance water solubility of fluorescent organic dyes (cyanines and rhodamines) by a postsynthetic chemical derivatization of their carboxylic acid functionality with an original disulfonated heterobifunctional linker is described. Significant water solubility enhancement is achieved without compromising either the photophysical properties (especially large molar extinction coefficients and high quantum yields) or bioconjugation efficiency of the parent non-water-soluble fluorophores. The results both demonstrate the strong potential of these new compounds as fluorescent labels for a broad range of biotechnology and biomedical applications and illustrate the utility of such an easy-to-handle water-solubizing group.