Correlation between the sorption of dissolved oxygen onto chitosan and its antimicrobial activity against Esherichia coli

The ability of chitosan to adsorb dissolved oxygen from solution depends on its physical shape and is related to the surface area. Depending on conditions chitosan is capable of adsorbing or releasing oxygen. Chitosan, modificated by the substances possessing antimicrobial activity, such as succinic acid, Pd(II) ions, metallic Pd or Ag, distinctly increases the ability to adsorb the dissolved oxygen. The additional treatment of chitosan with air oxygen or electrochemically produced oxygen also increases the uptake of dissolved oxygen by chitosan. A strong correlation between the amount of oxygen adsorbed onto chitosan and its antimicrobial activity against Esherichia coli has been observed. This finding suggests that one of the sources of antimicrobial activity of chitosan is the ability to sorb dissolved oxygen, along with other well-known factors such as physical state and chemical composition.