The impact of chitosan on seafood quality and human health: A review

Functional properties of chitosan derivatives obtained through Maillard reaction: A novel promising food preservative

This review provides an insight about the functional properties of chitosan obtained through Maillard reaction to enhance the shelf life and food quality. Maillard reaction is a promising and safe method to obtain commercial water-soluble chitosan's through Schiff base linkage and Amadori or Heyns rearrangement. Likewise, chitosan derivatives exert an enhanced antimicrobial, antioxidant, and emulsifying properties due to the development of Maillard reaction products (MRPs) like reductones and melanoidins. Additionally, the application of chitosan-MRPs effectively inhibited the microbial spoilage, reduced lipid oxidative, and extended the shelf life and the quality of fresh food products. Therefore, understand the potential of chitosan-MRPs derivatives as a functional biomaterial to improve the postharvest quality and extending the shelf life of food products will scale up its application as a food preservative.

Nano-technological approaches for plant and marine-based polysaccharides for nano-encapsulations and their applications in food industry

Novel food preservation methods, along with preservatives have been employed to prevent food products from spoilage. There is an increasing demand to substitute synthetic preservatives with natural bioactive compounds since they are safe and environmentally friendly. Bioactive compounds with functional and therapeutic properties are found in foods and have also beneficial physiological and immunological health effects. However, there are some issues associated with bioactive compounds, such as low stability, solubility, and permeability. Encapsulation techniques, especially nano-encapsulation, are a promising technique to overcome these restrictions. A range of the plants' constituents can be converted into bio-nanomaterials. Major plant constituents are polysaccharides which have good biocompatibility properties and therapeutic activities, such as antioxidant, antiviral, anti-inflammatory, anti-allergic, and anti-tumor. Among plant and marine-based polysaccharides, cellulose, starch, alginates, chitosan, and carrageenans have been used as carrier materials to preserve core material. Moreover, many studies indicated that favorable sources such as plant and marine based polysaccharides are emerging. This chapter will cover plant and marine-based polysaccharides for nano-encapsulation and their application in the food industry.

Recent Advances in Marine-Based Nutraceuticals and Their Health Benefits

The oceans have been the Earth's most valuable source of food. They have now also become a valuable and versatile source of bioactive compounds. The significance of marine organisms as a natural source of new substances that may contribute to the food sector and the overall health of humans are expanding. This review is an update on the recent studies of functional seafood compounds (chitin and chitosan, pigments from algae, fish lipids and omega-3 fatty acids, essential amino acids and bioactive proteins/peptides, polysaccharides, phenolic compounds, and minerals) focusing on their potential use as nutraceuticals and health benefits.

Multifunctional chitosan-copper-gallic acid based antibacterial nanocomposite wound dressing

Antibacterial wound dressings can effectively avoid the residual of antibacterial nanomaterials for injection in vivo, reduce their biological toxicity to normal cells and tissues, making them be widely applied in biomedical field. Herein, an approach of combining ion-crosslinking, in-situ reduction and microwave-assisted methods was employed to prepare chitosan-copper-gallic acid nanocomposites (CS-Cu-GA NCs) with dual-functional nano-enzyme characteristics (oxidase- and peroxidase-like functions). The oxidase-like activity of CS-Cu-GA NCs can facilitate the production of hydrogen peroxide (H₂O₂) when it contacted with physiologically relevant antioxidants (AH₂) in bacteria. Subsequently, H₂O₂ was catalyzed to generate hydroxyl radicals (OH) under the peroxidase-like activity of CS-Cu-GA NCs. Furthermore, CS-Cu-GA NCs integrate the inherent antibacterial properties of chitosan, Cu NPs and Cu²⁺. Animal experiments revealed that the antibacterial dressing incorporating CS-Cu-GA NCs exhibited its effective promotion of S. aureus-infected wounds healing, as well as no damage to normal tissues. Besides, the antibacterial dressing was prepared to a band aid with excellent water swelling and antibacterial properties, which was further fixed in a medical tape to construct a portable antibacterial product that can be applied to the surface of human skin and showed excellent waterproof performance, providing a new insight for the construction of clinical antibacterial wound healing products.

Agricultural and Biomedical Applications of Chitosan-Based Nanomaterials

Chitosan has emerged as a biodegradable, nontoxic polymer with multiple beneficial applications in the agricultural and biomedical sectors. As nanotechnology has evolved as a promising field, researchers have incorporated chitosan-based nanomaterials in a variety of products to enhance their efficacy and biocompatibility. Moreover, due to its inherent antimicrobial and chelating properties, and the availability of modifiable functional groups, chitosan nanoparticles were also directly used in a variety of applications. In this review, the use of chitosan-based nanomaterials in agricultural and biomedical fields related to the management of abiotic stress in plants, water availability for crops, controlling foodborne pathogens, and cancer photothermal therapy is discussed, with some insights into the possible mechanisms of action. Additionally, the toxicity arising from the accumulation of these nanomaterials in biological systems and future research avenues that had gained limited attention from the scientific community are discussed here. Overall, chitosan-based nanomaterials show promising characteristics for sustainable agricultural practices and effective healthcare in an eco-friendly manner.

Use of Spectroscopic Techniques to Monitor Changes in Food Quality during Application of Natural Preservatives: A Review

Consumer demand for food of high quality has driven research for alternative methods of food preservation on the one hand, and the development of new and rapid quality assessment techniques on the other hand. Recently, there has been a growing need and interest in healthier food products, which has led to an increased interest in natural preservatives, such as essential oils, plant extracts, and edible films and coatings. Several studies have shown the potential of using biopreservation, natural antimicrobials, and antioxidant agents in place of other processing and preservation techniques (e.g., thermal and non-thermal treatments, freezing, or synthetic chemicals). Changes in food quality induced by the application of natural preservatives have been commonly evaluated using a range of traditional methods, including microbiology, sensory, and physicochemical measurements. Several spectroscopic techniques have been proposed as promising alternatives to the traditional time-consuming and destructive methods. This review will provide an overview of recent studies and highlight the potential of spectroscopic techniques to evaluate quality changes in food products following the application of natural preservatives.

Chitosan: Structural modification, biological activity and application

Many by-products that are harmful to the environment and human health are generated during food processing. However, these wastes are often potential resources with high-added value. For example, crustacean waste contains large amounts of chitin. Chitin is one of the most abundant polysaccharides in natural macromolecules, and is a typical component of crustaceans, mollusks, insect exoskeleton and fungal cell walls. Chitosan is prepared by deacetylation of chitin and a copolymer of D-glucosamine and N-acetyl-D-glucosamine through β-(1 → 4)-glycosidic bonds. Chitosan has better solubility, biocompatibility and degradability compared with chitin. This review introduces the preparation, physicochemical properties, chemical and physical modification methods of chitosan, which could help us understand its biological activities and applications. According to the latest reports, the antibacterial activity, antioxidant, immune and antitumor activities of chitosan and its derivatives are summarized. Simultaneously, the various applications of chitosan and its derivatives are reviewed, including food, chemical, textile, medical and health, and functional materials. Finally, some insights into its future potential are provided, including novel modification methods, directional modification according to structure-activity relationship, activity and application development direction, etc.