Evaluation of Antibacterial and Anti-inflammatory Activity of Active Molecular Chitosan

The antibacterial and anti-inflammatory activities of chitosan were evaluated by controlling the molecular size. Based on the enzyme's activity under non-optimal conditions, the hydrolysate obtained by applying it to high molecular weight chitosan (HMWC) was obtained. Their molecular weight (MW) distribution was determined using MALDI-TOF mass spectrometry. As a result, the size of the hydrolysate composed of glucosamine (GlcN) was confirmed to be (GlcN)_5-15. Based on the antibacterial activity of the hydrolysates toward Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA), the hydrolysate that showed significant antibacterial activity was named active molecular chitosan (AMC). AMC was added to the commercially available pre-hydrogel component to prepare a hydrogel as a finished product. This was to confirm the loss or maintenance of activity due to offset with other components. As a result, the importance of Free-AMC or combination with other components was confirmed when evaluating the anti-inflammatory activity using the RAW264.7 cell line. AMC is expected to receive great attention as a material for hydrogel products for secondary infection prevention and wound dressing.