Obtaining and study of monosaccharide derivatives of low-molecular-weight chitosan

The possibility of obtaining monosaccharide derivatives of low-molecular-weight chitosan with the use of the Maillard reaction was studied. Chitosan derivatives (molecular weight, 24 and 5 kDa) obtained with glucosamine, N-acetyl galactosamine, galactose, and mannose with a substitution degree of 4–14% and a yield of 60–80% were obtained. Some physicochemical and biological properties of these derivatives were studied. We showed that monosaccharide derivatives of low-molecular-weight chitosan exhibited antibacterial activity. Chitosan at a concentration of 0.01% caused 100% death of bacteria B. subtilis and E. coli. The strongest antibacterial effect was exhibited by 24-kDa derivatives: only 0.02–0.08% of cells survived. These derivatives were two orders of magnitude more effective than the 5-kDa chitosan modified with galactose.