Chitin & Chitosan

Additional Details

Chitin is the second most abundant natural biopolymer in the world, behind only cellulose. It is also the most abundant naturally occurring polysaccharide that contains amino sugars. This abundance, combined with the specific chemistry of chitin and its derivative chitosan, make for the array of potential applications.

Chitosan is a fine off white, odorless Powder extracted from Crab and Shrimp Shells and its derivatives offer uses in three areas of cosmetics: hair care, skin care and oral care. Products have already reached the market in all three areas. We supply Chitosan at varied deacetylation values (80 – 95%) and mesh sizes (35 to 100). We also supply High Bulk Density Chitosan (HBDC) ideally suitable for encapsulation, having a bulk density of 0.8gm/ml and 0 mesh size to 100 Mesh.

Applications

APPLICATIONS

Chitin & Chitosan have a wide variety of uses in health care. Most important are Wound Care, Implants fat & cholesterol –binding drugs, and drug delivery. at Absorbent : The ability of the Chitosan molecule to scavenge fat and cholesterol in the digestive system, plucking it from the stomach and excreting it in the duodenum, has significant implications for its use as a beneficial food additive. Food containing Chitosan or Chitosan complexed with a fatty acid, could be designed to reduce obesity, cholesterol levels and the incidence of colon cancer.

Feed Ingredients: Chitin and Chitosan offer three main benefits as components of animal feeds. They permit food processors to recycle protein from food processing waste into animal feed ; they have beneficial nutritional properties; and they control the release of feed additives in ruminant animals.

Agriculture : Chitin and Chitosan have three potential uses in Agriculture ; as a seed treatment , a nematocide, and a feed ingredient. Chitinase enzymes have potential as insecticide adjuvants. They work by attacking the Chitin that exists in the exoskeletons of insects.

Cosmetics and Toiletries:

Chitin, Chitosan and their derivatives offer uses in three areas of cosmetics: haircare, skin care and oral care. Products have already reached the market in all three areas.

Hair Care : Chitosan and hair are complementary because they carry opposite electrical charges – Chitosan positive and hair negative . A Clear solution that contains chitosan forms a clear, elastic film on hair, increasing its softness and mechanical strength. The material can also form a gel when added to mixtures of alcohol and water.

Some derivatives of chitosan can form foam and create emulsitying action. And chitin powder can be used directly in shampoo.

Skin Care : Chitosan and its derivatives have two advantages that make it suitable for skin care; their positive electrical charge, and the fact that the molecular weights of most chitosan products are so high that they cannot penetrate the skin. Thus for example Chitosan can function as a moisturizer for skin. Because of its lower costs, it might compete with hyaluronic acid in this application. Both Chitosan and chitin are already found in creams, pack material, lotions, nail enamel, foundation, eye shadow, lipstick , cleansing materials and bath agents.                            Oral Care: Both chitin and chitosan can be used in toothpaste , mouthwashes and chewing gum, they freshen the breath and prevent the formulation of plaque and tooth decay.

Waste and Water Treatment :

The ability of Chitosan to bind metals, combined with its floculating properties, provide applications in treating drinking water, pools and spas, and various waste streams.