Abstract

CHITOSAN AND THIOLATED CHITOSAN DERIVATIVES: A BRIEF REVIEW

*Vikram Limbaji Musale, Chetankumar Gangaprasad Borkar, Shubham Hanumant Bansode, Shubhangi Vasanta Patil, Nikita Prakash Somvanshi and Shaikh Sana Tahreem

Abstract

Chitin and chitosan polymers are the most abundant renewable polysaccharides on Earth after cellulose. Various properties of chitosan can be customized by thiolation for very specific needs in a wide range of application areas. Since the discovery of thiolated chitosans, many studies have proven their advantageous characteristics, such as adhesion to biological surfaces, adjustable cross-linking and swelling behavior, controllable drug release, permeation as well as cellular uptake enhancement, inhibition of efflux pumps and enzymes, complexation of metal ions, antioxidative properties, and radical scavenging activity. Simultaneously, these polymers remain biodegradable without increased toxicity. Within this Review, an overview about the different possibilities to covalently attach sulfhydryl ligands to the polymeric backbone of chitosan is given, and the resulting physiochemical properties are discussed in detail. Furthermore, the broad spectrum of applications for thiolated chitosans in pharmaceutical and medical science over wastewater treatment is addressed.

Keywords: Chitosan and chitin, Thiolated chitosan, Synthesis, Properties, Application.