Enzymatic hydrolysis of chitosan. Biological activity of the polymer and its hydrolysates
Main Article Content
Abstract
polymer of N-acetil-Glucosamine that is extracted from the
exoskeleton of the crustaceans. Both polymers as well as their
oligomers have proved to protect several species of plants
against fungal diseases by means of the induction of defensive
mechanisms that stop the advance of the pathogen in the
vegetable and by direct action of pathogenic fungi growth
inhibition. In this work, the hydrolysis of chitosan with Pectinex
Ultra SPL (Novozymes) was carried out and the course of the
reaction was monitored by determining the intrinsic viscosity
of the solution as well as the increment of reducing sugars
during the reaction time. The analysis of hydrolysis results
allowed to suggest a remarkable endo-chitosanase character
for the Pectinex enzymatic pool. Additionally, the activity of in
vitro growth inhibition of the pathogen Phytophthora
parasitica and the inducing chitinase activity in soybean plants
was comparatively studied, using the native chitosan and their
enzymatic hydrolysates of two and 10 hours. A bigger growth
inhibition of P. parasitica was observed in the case of
hydrolysates regarding the native chitosan, as well as a higher
induction of chitinase activity in soybean plants previously
treated with the 10 hour-hydrolysate. Results are discussed
concerning the importance of GP in the antifungal activity and
signal perception that induces soybean plant defense response,
taking into account the increment of the number of fragments
by means of the hydrolysis.
Article Details
Those authors who have publications with this journal accept the following terms of the License Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International (CC BY-NC 4.0):
You are free to:
- Share — copy and redistribute the material in any medium or format
- Adapt — remix, transform, and build upon the material
The licensor cannot revoke these freedoms as long as you follow the license terms.
Under the following terms:
- Attribution — You must give appropriate credit, provide a link to the license, and indicate if changes were made. You may do so in any reasonable manner, but not in any way that suggests the licensor endorses you or your use.
- NonCommercial — You may not use the material for commercial purposes.
- No additional restrictions — You may not apply legal terms or technological measures that legally restrict others from doing anything the license permits.
The journal is not responsible for the opinions and concepts expressed in the works, they are the sole responsibility of the authors. The Editor, with the assistance of the Editorial Committee, reserves the right to suggest or request advisable or necessary modifications. They are accepted to publish original scientific papers, research results of interest that have not been published or sent to another journal for the same purpose.
The mention of trademarks of equipment, instruments or specific materials is for identification purposes, and there is no promotional commitment in relation to them, neither by the authors nor by the publisher.