Abstract

Synthesis and Antimicrobial Activities of Cationated Chitosan

Author(s): Enyeribe CC, Kogo AA and Yakubu MK

This study investigates the synthesis and antimicrobial study of cationated chitosan. The study was first carried out by the modification of chitin using 30% NaOH to obtain chitosan which was then use to synthesize cationated chitosan by treating the chitosan with 2, 3-epoxypropyltrimethylammonium chloride. The results obtained reveal that the chitosan have a degree of deacetylation of 67% which was soluble in 1% acetic acid and then characterized for moisture content, viscosity, UV-visible spectroscopy, the FT-IR spectra showed absorption peaks 3432 cm-1 and 3254 cm-1 due to OH and NH2 functional groups respectively, 2923 cm-1 due to CH3, 1617 cm-1 due to C=O, 1069 cm-1 due to C-O-C stretching frequency vibration, DSC spectra showed that the chitosan was more thermally stable than the cationated chitosan, the antimicrobial studies reveal that the sample have a zone of inhibition of 28 mm, MIC value of 6.25 mg/ml and MBC value of 12.5 mg/ml. The cationated chitosan can be used in the treatment of ailment caused by some of these microorganisms.