Chitosan derives from the carbohydrate ‘chitin’ found naturally in crustacean shells and can therefore be sourced in wastes from the food processing industry. This makes chitosan a low-cost, bio-safe, and sustainable material. Chitosan itself has antimicrobial properties but is also promising as a base in coatings loaded with nano particles.
We have developed new chitosan formulations with zinc oxide (ZnO), silver (Ag), benzophenone-3 (BP-3), and polyethylene glycol (PEG) nanoparticles included into the chitosan matrix.
Chitosan is the second most abundant natural polysaccharide and is both non-toxic and biodegradable. The anti-biofilm properties of Chitosan is possibly due to its polycationic nature which may interfere with the negatively charged bacteria. An advantage of Chitosan is the possibility of integrating functional nanoparticles into the matrix.
