Methods of Chitosan Identification: History and Trends

Chitosan, discovered in 1859 and named in 1894, has long attracted the attention of scientists. However, endless possibilities for the chemical engineering of chitosan still offer inspiration for various innovative applications. The highly biocompatible and antimicrobial features of chitosan enable its multi-disciplinary applications, such as in medical engineering, food science, environmental science, and cosmetics; this is evident from the significantly increasing number of chitosan articles in the last two decades. This article presents methods for identifying chitosan using various analytical techniques and summarizes the findings from such techniques throughout the literature. The summary of the key analytical data presented in this review article could be used as a quick reference for a researcher who intends to analyze chitinous content by the method of their choice.