摘要：Chitin is an organic biopolymer of N-acetyl-D-glucosamine (GlcNAc) units linked together by β-(1,4)-glycosidic bonds. It is the second most abudant biopolymer on earth after cellulose and is obtained from the shell waste of crustaceans (crab, shrimp) and also from cell walls of fungi and insects. Chitosan is the N-deacetylated product of chitin. It has higher solubility and activity than chitin in food applications. Due to its polycationic properties, it has antimicrobial activity on bacteria and fungi, and it has also antioxidant property, high adsorbtion activity, gel forming ability and chelating ability. Chitosan has high potential for using in meat, vegetable, fruit and many other food products. However it has high potential for purification of water, clarification of fruit juice and production of edible films. It decreases absorbtion of fat in intestines, and also decreases the levels of serum chollesterol and tryglyceride. However, the potential usage of chitin and chitosan in food application is increased because of its nontoxic, biodegredable and low cost properties.
关键词：Chitin; chitosan; antimicrobial; antioxidan; clarification; edible film
