Chitosan A Marine Medical Polymer And Its Lipid Lowering Capacity

摘要

The present report is the collection of information on chitosan; a natural biodegradable copolymer; which is extensively researched the improvement of drug delivery like topical, ocular, implantation and injection (micro and Nanoparticles). However there are many other areas where chitosan is widely used like industrial work, nutrient supply and health care. The present review is focused on its fat binding and lipid lowering capacity as a nutrient or health care product. Introduction Chitin, the precursor to Chitosan, was first discovered in mushrooms by the French professor Henri Braconnot in 1811 ( Braconnot H, 1811). In the 1820’s chitin was also isolated from insects (Odier A, 1823). Chitin is an extremely long chain of N-acetyl-D-glucoseamineunits. Chitin is the most abundant natural fiber next to cellulose and is similar to cellulose in many respects. The most abundant source of chitin is in the shells of shellfish such as crab and shrimp.