Coliphages inactivation using chitosan derivatives

The effect of chitosan fragments with different degrees of polymerization and the chemical derivatives of chitosan differing in the number of amino groups and total molecule charge on phages T2, T4, and T7 was studied. The interaction of chitosan with bacteriophage particles inactivated them to the extent dependent on the chemical properties of chitosan and its concentration. Phage T2 was found to be most susceptible to inactivation by chitosan. The polycationic nature of chitosan plays an important role in the inactivation of phages. It is assumed that the abnormal rearrangement of the basal plate of phages, the loss of long tail fibers, and probably, modification of the receptor-recognizing phage proteins may be responsible for the inactivation of coliphages by chitosan.