BIOLOGICAL-ACTIVITIES OF BIODEGRADABLE POLYSACCHARIDE

A low toxicity of chitin was demonstrated to be mostly due to biodegra dability and the fast metabolization of hydrolysate in animal body. Ch itosan, a deacetylated derivative of chitin, is also known to be a bio compatible polymer in spite of a slight immunoadjuvant activity in ani mal body. Chitosan is easily regenerated to fiber, film, beads and non woven fabrics owing to its high solubility toward diluted aqueous org anic acids such as formic acid, acetic acid, glutamic acid and ascorbi c acid. The regeneration of chitin was achieved into fibers, gels, por ous foams and non woven fabrics following to dissolution of chitin wit h formic acid or calcium chloride dihydrate saturated methanol. Chitin and its derivatives have been applied as biomedical materials due to remarkable advantages such as antimicrobial activity, acceleration of epidermal cell assembly, low toxicity, and biodegradability.