Antibacterial activity of shrimp chitosan against Escherichia coli.

The effects of cell age, reaction temperature, pH value, and salts on the inhibitory activity of shrimp chitosan (98% deacetylated) against Escherichia coli were investigated. The age of a bacterial culture affected its susceptibility to chitosan, with cells in the late exponential phase being most sensitive to chitosan. Higher temperature (25 and 37 degrees C) and acidic pH increased the bactericidal effects of chitosan. Sodium ions (100 mM Na+) might complex with chitosan and accordingly reduce chitosan's activity against E. coli. Divalent cations at concentrations of 10 and 25 mM reduced the antibacterial activity of chitosan, in the order of Ba2+ > Ca2+ > Mg2+. Chitosan also caused leakage of glucose and lactate dehydrogenase from E. coli cells. These data support the hypothesis that the mechanism of chitosan antibacterial action involves a cross-linkage between the polycations of chitosan and the anions on the bacterial surface that changes the membrane permeability.

[1]  Norio Nagao,et al.  Effects of Chitosan, Pectic Acid, Lysozyme, and Chitinase on the Growth of Several Phytopathogens , 1989 .

[2]  R. B. Pearce,et al.  Chitin and related compounds as elicitors of the lignification response in wounded wheat leaves , 1982 .

[3]  Guang-hua Wang Inhibition and Inactivation of Five Species of Foodborne Pathogens by Chitosan. , 1992, Journal of food protection.

[4]  L. Hadwiger,et al.  Localization of Fungal Components in the Pea-Fusarium Interaction Detected Immunochemically with Anti-chitosan and Anti-fungal Cell Wall Antisera. , 1981, Plant physiology.

[5]  Dietrich Knorr,et al.  Antibacterial action of chitosan , 1992 .

[6]  L. Hadwiger,et al.  Chitosan as a Component of Pea-Fusarium solani Interactions. , 1980, Plant physiology.

[7]  M. Rosenberg,et al.  Mechanism of enhancement of microbial cell hydrophobicity by cationic polymers , 1990, Journal of bacteriology.

[8]  D. Shih,et al.  Antifungal Activity of Chitosan and Its Preservative Effect on Low-Sugar Candied Kumquat. , 1994, Journal of food protection.

[9]  J. L. Leuba,et al.  Chitosan and Other Polyamines: Antifungal Activity and Interaction with Biological Membranes , 1986 .

[10]  L. Hadwiger,et al.  Two-dimensional electrophoretic analysis of in vivo and in vitro synthesis of proteins in peas inoculated with compatible and incompatible Fusarium solani , 1982 .

[11]  L. Hadwiger,et al.  Chitosans and pectic polysaccharides both induce the accumulation of the antifungal phytoalexin pisatin in pea pods and antinutrient proteinase inhibitors in tomato leaves. , 1983, Biochemical and biophysical research communications.

[12]  D. Evans,et al.  Surface characteristics and adhesion of Escherichia coli and Staphylococcus epidermidis. , 1991, The Journal of applied bacteriology.

[13]  D. Young,et al.  Effect of Chitosan on Membrane Permeability of Suspension-Cultured Glycine max and Phaseolus vulgaris Cells. , 1982, Plant physiology.

[14]  D. Young,et al.  Release of Calcium from Suspension-Cultured Glycine max Cells by Chitosan, Other Polycations, and Polyamines in Relation to Effects on Membrane Permeability. , 1983, Plant physiology.

[15]  Dietrich Knorr,et al.  Antimicrobial effect of water‐soluble chitosans with high hydrostatic pressure , 1991 .

[16]  J. Fajardo,et al.  Phenolic compounds in peanut seeds: enhanced elicitation by chitosan and effects on growth and aflatoxin B1 production by Aspergillus flavus , 1994 .

[17]  J. Arul,et al.  Antifungal Activity of Chitosan on Two Postharvest Pathogens of Strawberry Fruits , 1992 .

[18]  L. Hadwiger,et al.  Chitosan Both Activates Genes in Plants and Inhibits RNA Synthesis in Fungi , 1986 .

[19]  L. Hadwiger,et al.  The fungicidal effect of chitosan on fungi of varying cell wall composition , 1979 .

[20]  H. Seo,et al.  Antibacterial and Antifungal Fiber Blended by Chitosan , 1992 .

[21]  T. Kohara,et al.  A conductometric method for colloid titrations , 1976 .

[22]  L. Hadwiger,et al.  CHITOSAN, A NATURAL REGULATOR IN PLANT-FUNGAL PATHOGEN INTERACTIONS, INCREASES CROP YIELDS , 1984 .

[23]  K. Chang,et al.  Heterogeneous N-deacetylation of chitin in alkaline solution , 1997 .