Chitin l mt trong nhng polyme c nhiu trong thin nhin, c ngun gc t cc loi ng vt nh tm, cua.

Chitin c thi gian phn hy chm, nn vic x l mt lng ln cht thi trong cng nghip ch bin hi sn gp nhiu kh khn. Tn dng ngun nguyn liu chitin ny, chng ta to ra c chitosan c ng dng trong nhiu lnh vc.

Chitin l polyme sinh hc c nhiu trong thin nhin ch ng sau Xenluloza. Cu trc ha hc ca Chitin gn ging vi Xenluloza(Cellulose).

Chitin

Xenluloza

1 :Chitin , 2: Chitosan , 3: Xenluloza.

Chitosan l mt dng Chitin b kh axetyl, nhng khng ging Chitin, n li tan c trong dung dch axit.

C Chitin v Chitosan u c nhiu ng dng trong cng nghip v cuc sng, c bit l trong ch bin v bo qun thc phm.

Chitin c gc t ch "chiton", ting Hy Lp c ngha l v gip. Chitin l thnh phn cu trc chnh trong v (b xng ngoi) ca cc ng vt khng xng sng trong c loi gip xc (tm, cua). Khi ch bin nhng loi hi sn gip xc, lng cht thi (cha Chitin) chim ti 50% khi lng u vo v con s ny tnh trn ton th gii l khong 5,ll triu tn/nm. V Chitin phn hy sinh hc rt chm nn vic x l mt lng cht thi ln nh th s gp nhiu kh khn. Tuy nhin nu tn dng c Chitin v Chitosan to ra cc sn phm c gi tr th li nng cao c hiu qu ch bin hi sn v bo v mi trng. T Chitin ta c th iu ch Chitosan v cc dn xut ca chng u c tnh khng khun nhng cho ti nay ngi ta vn cha hiu r c ch ca n.

Qu trnh iu ch Chitosan
Tuy nhin cc th nghim thc t cho thy Chitosan c kh nng c ch hot ng ca mt s loi vi khun nh E.Coli. Mt s dn xut ca Chitosan dit c mt s loi nm hi du ty, c rt, u v c tc dng tt trong bo qun cc loi rau qu c v cng bn ngoi. N c th dng bo qun cc loi thc phm ti sng, ng lnh khi bao gi chng bng cc mng mng d phn hy sinh hc v thn thin mi trng. Thng thng, ngi ta hay dng mng Polyethylene (PE) bao gi cc loi

thc phm kh. Nu dng PE bao gi cc thc phm ti sng th c nhiu bt li do khng khng ch c m v thong khng kh (oxy) cho thc phm. Trong khi bo qun, cc thc phm ti sng vn "th", nu dng bao gi bng PE th mc cung cp oxy b hn ch, nc s b ngng ng to mi trng cho nm mc pht trin. Mng bao bc bng Chitin v Chitosan s gii quyt c cc vn trn. Trong thc t, ngi ta dng mng Chitosan ng v bo qun cc loi rau qu nh o, da chut, u, bi v.v... Mng chitosan cng kh dai, kh x rch, c bn tng ng vi mt s cht do vn c dng lm bao gi. Mt ng dng na ca chitosan l lm chm li qu trnh b thm ca rau qu. Rau qu sau khi thu hoch s dn dn b thm, lm gim cht lng v gi tr. Rau qu b thm l do qu trnh ln men to ra cc sn phm polyme ha ca oquinon. Nh bao gi bng mng chitosan m c ch c hot tnh oxy ha ca cc polyphenol, lm thnh phn ca anthocyamin, flavonoid v tng lng cc hp cht phenol t bin i, gi cho rau qu ti lu hn. Ch phm sinh hc chitosan c to ra bng cch ha tan 1 g chitosan trong gim n long 1% v dng lm dung dch gc

(hay cn gi l dung dch nguyn). Ty theo loi tri cy v chng vi sinh vt gy nhim m pha dung dch nguyn thnh cc dung dch th cp c nng khc nhau ng dng cho vic bo qun. Sau , dng phng php phun ch phm sinh hc chitosan ln b mt tri cy. u im ca phng php ny l ko di thi gian bo qun ti ca chui gp 3 ln so vi cc mu chui lm i chng (khng ng dng ch phm sinh hc chitosan). Ngoi ra, nh dng phng php phun sng ln tri cy nn c th ng dng phng php ny trn din rng v vi khi lng tri cy ln.

Chui mau b mc khi bo qun bng cch thng thng

Chui ti lu nh s dng ch phm sinh hc chitosan bo qun

Trong lnh vc y khoa, nh vo tnh u vit ca Chitosan, cng vi c tnh khng c, hp vi c th, t tiu hu c, nn Chitosan c ng dng rng ri v c hiu qu trong k ngh bo ch dc phm, lm thuc cha bng, gim au, thuc h cholesterol, thuc cha bnh d dy, chng ng t mu, tng sc khng, cha xng khp v chng c c bnh ung th...Theo mt s nh khoa hc th Chitosan c kh nng khng ch s gia tng ca t bo ung th. Qua th ngim thc hin trn 60 bnh nhn tui t 35-76 ca nhm cc bc s Bnh vin K H Ni vo nm 2003 chng minh, Chitosan c tc dng h tr iu tr bnh ung th. Mt

cng trnh nghin cu th nghim tim Chitosan vi liu 100mg/kg trn da chut cng, sau gy vim bng Canageenin. Chitosan cn c kh nng chng vim cp trn m lnh. Ti cuc chin Iraq va qua, M cng s dng loi bng cu thng kiu mi, k thut cao, c thnh phn cu to bi cht Chitosan. So vi cc loi bng thng, tc cm mu, tnh st khun v thi gian lnh m khi s dng loi bng ny c hiu qu hn gp nhiu ln. V t lu, mt s chuyn gia Trung tm Huyt hc thuc Vin Hn lm Y hc Nga cng pht hin, Chitosan c th ngn chn s pht trin ca chng nhi mu c tim v bnh t qu. in hnh trn th trng dc hin nay l loi thuc cha khp lm t v tm c tn Glucosamin ang c thnh hnh trn ton th gii.

So vi sn phm cng loi th Glucosamin c u th hn, do sn xut t ngun v tm t nhin nn sn phm t gy phn ng ph, khng c hi v khng b ri lon tiu ho cho ngi bnh (rt quan trng). Nc M tiu th c hn 1 t vin nang Glucosamin. Nhng nm gn y, loi thuc cha khp ny cn c ph cp rng nhiu nc trong c c ta. Nhng Vit Nam no c chu thua, th gii c Glucosamin th Vit Nam c Glusivac chuyn c tr thoi ho khp, bn cnh cn c thuc gim bo cho "ch em" l Chitozan.

Thuc c ngun gc thin nhin nn t tc ng ph, ch em yn tm m dng.