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Sugar derived from crabs and shrimps can prevent infections in humans
14/Sep/2006: Chitosan, a linear polysaccharide, present in the exoskeleton of crustaceans like crabs and shrimps, can repel bacteria and yeast, preventing infections in humans.
If this compound is used to coat medical devices, thousand of bacterial and yeast infections can be prevented every year. Chitosan is commercially produced by deacetylation of chitin, found in exoskeletons of crustaceans. It finds its commercial usage as a plant growth enhancer.
Chitosan prevents the formation of biofilm, an aggregation of microorganisms, on wounds by repelling microbes trying to colonize the wounds. Coating this compound on wound dressings, catheters, surgical instruments and implantable medical devices could prevent blood stream infections in humans. Biofilms causes thousands of catheter-related infections and blood stream infections on humans every year.
This discovery was made by chemical engineers Philip Stewart and Ross Carlson from the Montana State University, United States. Their findings were submitted at the National Meeting of American Chemical Society at San Francisco. The scientists said that if further testing of this compound on animals and humans is successful, then coating chitosan on medical devices will become a first line of defense against microbes, during surgical processes.
Kesavan Siva
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