Chitosan, SEM Grade

Chitosan is a linear polysaccharide composed of beta-1, 4-linked D-glucosamine. This preparation is a chitosan specially purified as an embedding agent for SEM using O-D-O method or A-O-D-O (aldehyde-Osmium-DMSO-Osmium) method. Chitosan is insoluble in water, conc. mineral acids, alkalines, alcohol and acetone, but soluble in dilute acids.

Chitosan is an all-natural product, which is derived from the polysaccharide chitin. Chitin is found in the exo-skeletons of shrimp, crabs and other shellfish. Chitosan is a naturally occurring substance that is chemically similar to cellulose which is a plant fiber. Like plant fibers, Chitosan possesses many of the some properties as fiber, however unlike plant fiber, it has the ability to significantly bind fat, acting like a "fat sponge" in the digestive tract. Chitosan has the unique ability to attach itself to lipids or fats. There are no calories in Chitosan since it is not digestible. Chitosan attaches to fat in the stomach before it is metabolised. The Chitosan traps the fat and prevents its absorption in the digestive tract. The fat binds to the Chitosan fibre and becomes a large mass, which the body cannot absorb. This large mass is then eliminated from the body. Neutralising fat after it enters the stomach spares the body from having to deal with the fat. Chitosan fibre differs from other fibres in that it possesses a positive ionic charge. This positive charge gives Chitosan the ability to chemically bond with negatively charged lipids, fats and bile acids.
Chitosan can be referred to as a polycation. Since the early 1950s, polycations have been known to bind to red blood cells. Many studies since have shown that polycations are effective cellular agglutinating agents. In the early 1960s, chitosan was investigated for its agglutinating and binding abilities. It was found that chitosan, even at very low concentrations, had the ability to agglutinate red blood cells. This led to chitosan's consideration as a hemostatic agent. The agglutination of red blood cells by polycations is dependent both on polymer structure and molecular weight. Out of six common polycations, only chitosan was able to effectively initiate gel formation of heparinized blood. Chitosan with a molecular weight of 35,000 was only able to produce a loose coagulum in heparinized blood, while chitosan with molecular weights of 600,000 or above produced firm coagulum.

Small volumes of Chitosan, SEM Grade biochemical vial(s) may occasionally become entrapped in the seal of the product vial during shipment and storage. If necessary, briefly centrifuge the vial on a tabletop centrifuge to dislodge any liquid in the container`s cap. Certain products may require to ship with dry ice and additional dry ice fee may apply.

MBS651817 is a biochemical targeting Chitosan, SEM Grade.