Chitin oligomer derivatives

Chitin was prepared by the catalysis of chitinase. Incubation of a chitobiose oxazoline monomer with chitinase form bacillus sp. in phosphate buffer afforded chitin in quantitative yield (122). Using regiospecific 3-0- and/ or 3 -0-methylated derivatives of a chitobiose oxazoline as new substrate monomers, 3-0-methylated chitin oligomers were produced by enzymatic oligomerization using chitinase (123). 

Sakamoto J, Kobayashi S. Enzymatic synthesis of 3-0-Methylated chitin oligomers from new derivatives of a chitobiose oxazoline. Chem. Lett. 2004 33 698-699. 

Oligomers and polymers of chitin, chitosan, and their derivatives are extensively used in a broad range of fields that include agriculture, food, textile, cosmetics and medicine (Sandford and Hutchings 1987, Sandford 1989, Sandford and Steinnes 1991, Shahidi et al. 1999, Chatelet et al. 2001). They find vast applications because of their numerous interesting biological, physicochemical, and mechanical properties (Domard et al. 

Dzung, N. A., Khanh, V. T. P., Ngoc, N. T. B. et al. 2006. Study on effects of chitosan, chitosan oligomer and their derivatives on the growth inhibition of pathogenous fungi Phytopthora capsid and application for biocontrol black pepper. Advances in Chitin Science and Technology, S. W. Kim, H. K. No, R. D. Park... 

Chitin is soluble in Ar,AT-dimethylacetamide-5% LiCl, A(-methyl-2-pyrrolidone-5% LiCl, and mixtures of trichloroacetic acid with chlorinated hydrocarbons (ie, chlorinated methanes and ethanes) (30). Generally, the solubilities of chitin and chitosan decrease with increases in molecular weight. Oligomers of chitin and chitosan with a degree of polymerization of 8 or less are water soluble regardless of pH. Many derivatives of chitin and chitosan, which have wide solubility characteristics, have been synthesized. 

---