Effect of addition of water-soluble chitin on amylose film.

Shiho Suzuki, Katsumasa Shimahashi, Junichi Takahara, Michihiro Sunako, Takeshi Takaha, Kozo Ogawa, Shinichi Kitamura

Graduate School of Life & Environmental Sciences, Osaka Prefecture University, 1-1 Gakuen-cho, Sakai, Osaka, 599-8531 Japan.

Biomacromolecules 2005 Nov-Dec

filter terms:

Amylose films blended with chitosan, which were free from additives such as acid, salt, and plasticizer, were prepared by casting mixtures of an aqueous solution of an enzymatically synthesized amylose and that of water-soluble chitin (44.1% deacetylated). The presence of a small amount of chitin (less than 10%) increased significantly the permeability of gases (N2, O2, CO2, C2H4) and improved the mechanical parameters of amylose film; particularly, the elastic modulus and elongation of the blend films were larger than those of amylose or chitin films. No antibacterial activity was observed with either amylose or water-soluble chitin films. But amylose films having a small amount of chitin showed strong antibacterial action, suggesting a morphological change in water-soluble chitin on the film surface by blending with amylose molecule. These facts suggested the presence of a molecular complex of amylose and chitosan.

Citation

Shiho Suzuki, Katsumasa Shimahashi, Junichi Takahara, Michihiro Sunako, Takeshi Takaha, Kozo Ogawa, Shinichi Kitamura. Effect of addition of water-soluble chitin on amylose film. Biomacromolecules. 2005 Nov-Dec;6(6):3238-42