Therapeutic Prospectives of Chitin, Chitosan and Their Derivatives

Chitin and chitosan have recently attracted commercial interest not only as a potential source for pharmaceutical applications but also for their beneficial effects on human health. The area of chitin and chitosan research is indeed extremely important for both fundamental and applied perspectives and extensive studies have been conducted on the general aspects of chemical and biological properties and biotechnological applications in regenerative medicine, veterinary medicine and other health-care industries. Furthermore, therapeutic potential of chitin, chitosan and their derivatives has been studied on the basis of their biological activities such as antimicrobial, antitumor, immnostimulation and anticoagulant effects. This report reviews knowledge of the biological properties and potential therapeutic applications of chitin, chitosan and their derivatives in recent years.