Chitosan and its biomedical applications: A review

Abstract

Chitosan is a natural biopolymer with numerous biological benefits, including biocompatibility, biodegradability, and non-toxicity. The superior biological properties of chitosan have led to an increase in its applicability, especially in biomedical fields. Undeniably, it has a significant impact on the rapid growth of the global chitosan market. Despite all that, the challenges still exist, mainly originating from chitosan’s poor solubility, which limits its use in certain conditions. Besides that, chitosan is typically a family of molecules with differences in size, composition, and distribution, obviously affecting the polymer’s performance. In the present review, the authors introduce the basic concepts of chitosan, including its chemistry and technological characteristics, and discuss how these properties can be enhanced. A comprehensive study on the fundamentals and state-of-the-art biomedical applications of chitosan, including its use as a drug delivery agent, wound healing agent, bone regeneration aid, biosensing material, antimicrobial agent, hygiene product, and cancer treatment, was also discussed. In addition, prospects and research opportunities in chitosan-based biomedical innovations were briefly discussed. The authors believe that the knowledge presented here at least assists in comprehending chitosan and its biomedical applications, and further triggers attempts to study them in depth.