Preparation of Low Molecular Weight Chitosan by Complex Enzymes Hydrolysis

Abstract

Through the determination of viscosity average molecular weight, enzyme activity, hydrolysis ratio and reducing sugar concentration, the optimal technological conditions of complex enzymes composed of commercial ?-amylase, cellulase and pectinase were investigated. Results indicated that complex enzymes could result in low molecular weight chitosan ranged from 1000 to 4000 after enzymatic degradation for 2 h under the condition of zymolyte ratio 1:5(m/m), pH 5.3 and temperature 56?, and the structure of those products failed to vary obviously by FTIR analysis.