Antimicrobial and Antifungal Effects of Acid and Water-Soluble Chitosan Extracted from Indian Shrimp (Fenneropenaeus indicus) Shell

Background & Objective : Currently, efforts are underway to seek new and effective antimicrobial agents, and marine resources are potent candidates for this aim. The following study was conducted to investigate the efficacy of water-soluble and acid-soluble chitosan against some pathogenic organisms.   Materials & Method s: Inhibition zone of different concentrations (5, 7.5, and 10 mg/ml) of acid- soluble and water-soluble chitosan were examined for in vitro antibacterial activity against 4 kinds of hospital bacteria and penicillium sp. Results were compared with 4 standard antibiotics: streptomycin, gentamicin, tetracycline, and erythromycin. Furthermore, minimum inhibitory concentration and minimum lethal concentration were determined.   Results: Inhibition activity of acid-soluble chitosan (10%) showed the best result (p value < 0.05), whereas water-soluble chitosan exhibited the least antibacterial effects (p value < 0.05). Chitosan demonstrated maximum effect on V. cholera cerotype ogava , and the least effect was seen on E. coli (p value < 0.05). Acid-soluble chitosan had a more potent effect than the standard antibiotics. Also, acid-soluble chitosan (10%) and water-soluble chitosan showed maximum inhibitory effects on penicillium sp.   Conclusion: Chitosan showed maximum antibacterial effect against S. aureus, V. cholerae cerotype ogava, and water-soluble chitosan demonstrated good antifungal effects, revealing a statistically significant difference with common antibacterial and antifungal medicines.