Chitosan is our functional foundation raw material. It features prominently in several of our product formulations. But what is Chitosan and why choose it? Chitosan is a totally natural, fibrous biopolymer very closely related to cellulose and obtained from various sources. All commercial Chitosan is obtained from its parent material chitin, mostly extracted from the exoskeletons of shellfish. Second to cellulose as the most abundant global biopolymer, it is estimated the global biological production of chitin is around 1011 metric tonnes. Our chitosans are manufactured from shellfish exoskeletons that are sustainably harvested. Our chitosans are top quality food grade material. In addition, our chitosans enjoy a “Generally Recognized As Safe” (GRAS) status from the US FDA. Our Chitosans are also compliant with California Proposition 65, that state’s Safe Drinking Water and Toxic Enforcement Act of 1986.
So why Chitosan? First, it is a natural substance even though Chitosan is commercially prepared from chitin. As a natural material, nature has a way of processing it so Chitosan is biodegradable, unlike synthetics that persists in nature. As natural carbohydrate polymers go, Chitosan is a highly functional polymer. A cursory internet search reveals a plethora of activities and applications in a number of industries. The literature is rich with research on chitosan applications and development of novel derivatives with characteristically unique functionality and properties. Most of this is based on chitosan’s cationic nature. It is this cationic property that allows chitosan to be soluble in various liquids that are bio friendly and biocompatible. Chitin can be solubilized as well but those solvents are much harsher and not biocompatible. It’s the facile solubility and biocompatibility that greatly increases the value of chitosan over chitin.
On the agricultural side, Chitosan is known to be active in many areas. For example, Chitosan is recognized as a plant growth regulator, a plant defense booster, an elicitor, has fungicidal and antimicrobial properties and is also employed as a sticker agent in adjuvant formulations. Chitosan works well with the natural biology of the soil and has been employed with much success with several commercial beneficial biological agents such as Beauveria bassiana in combatting the deleterious effects of many plant pathogens as well as harmful insects.
Organisan Corporation has long recognized the benefits and potentials of chitosan. The company has strategically positioned and established itself as the market leader in chitosan-based agriculture products. We have and continue to leverage our proprietary technology in how we manipulate chitosans in our formulations to emphasize desired functionalities.
