Chitosan as potential marine nutraceutical

Abstract

Chitosan, the most abundant marine mucopolysaccharide, is derived from chitin by alkaline deacetylation, and possesses versatile biological properties such as biocompatibility, biodegradability, and a non-toxic nature. Due to these characteristics, considerable attention has been given to its industrial applications in the food, pharmaceutical, agricultural, and environmental industries. Currently, chitosan can be considered as a potential marine nutraceutical because its remarkable biological activities have been investigated and reported, in order to exploit its nutraceutical properties. This chapter, therefore, reviews the biological activities of chitosan including antioxidant, hypocholesterolemic, antimicrobial, and anti-inflammatory activities, as well as its mode of action in each activity.