Process for producing low endotoxin chitosan
AssigneeMedtrade Products Limited
InventorsCraig Hardy, Andrew Hoggarth, June Gladman
Life of this patent
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Abstract
The present invention relates to a process for producing a low endotoxin alkali chitosan, chitin, chitosan derivative or chitin derivative, and also to a process for producing low endotoxin neutral chitosan, chitosan salt and chitosan derivatives, and to the products of such processes. The process comprises contacting chitosan, chitin, chitosan derivative or chitin derivative with an alkali solution having a concentration of less than 0.25M to form a mixture; leaving the mixture for a period of less than 12 hours and optionally drying the mixture. The low endotoxin alkali chitosan may be used in the manufacture of other useful chitosan based products.
Claims20
A process for producing a low endotoxin alkali chitosan, chitin or a derivative thereof having an endotoxin concentration of less than 50 EU/g, the process comprising the steps of:
- (a) contacting chitosan, chitin, a chitosan derivative or a chitin derivative with an alkali solution having a concentration of from 0.01M to 0.2M to form a mixture, wherein the chitosan derivative or chitin derivative is selected from the group consisting of carboxymethyl chitosan, hydroxyl butyl chitin, N-acyl chitosan, O-acyl chitosan, N-alkyl chitosan, O-alkyl chitosan, N-alkylidene chitosan, O-sulfonyl chitosan, sulfated chitosan, phosphorylated chitosan, nitrated chitosan, alkalichitin, alkalichitosan, and metal chelates with chitosan;
- and
- (b) leaving the mixture for a period of less than 12 hours;
- and then
- (c) drying the mixture.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.