Resonance Rayleigh scattering method for highly sensitive detection of chitosan using aniline blue as probe

• A new and highly sensitive method for the determination of chitosan based on RRS was developed
• The effect of the molecular weight and the deacetylation degree of chitosan on its accurate quantification was studied.
• These methods were applied to the direct determination of chitosan in health products, with satisfactory results.

This paper describes a highly sensitive and accurate approach using aniline blue (AB) (water soluble) as a probe to determine chitosan (CTS) through Resonance Rayleigh scattering (RRS). Under optimum experimental conditions, the intensities of RRS were linearly proportional to the concentration of CTS in the range from 0.01 to 3.5 μg/mL, and the limit of detection (LOD) was 6.94 ng/mL. Therefore, a new and highly sensitive method based on RRS for the determination of CTS has been developed. Furthermore, the effect of molecular weight of CTS and the effect of the degree of deacetylation of CTS on the accurate quantification of CTS was studied. The experimental data was analyzed by linear regression analysis, which indicated that the molecular weight and the degree of deacetylation of CTS had no statistical significance and this method could be used to determine CTS accurately. Meanwhile, this assay was applied for CTS determination in health products with satisfactory results.

Interacted with aniline blue, the RRS intensities of chitosan-aniline blue system were proportional with concentration of chitosan, then a highly sensitive method was established for the determination of chitosan.Figure optionsDownload as PowerPoint slide