carboxymethyl chitosan

Carboxymethyl chitosan is a water-soluble derivative of chitosan produced by introducing carboxymethyl groups onto the amino and/or hydroxyl sites of the chitosan backbone. This modification overcomes the poor solubility of native chitosan in neutral or alkaline media while retaining its biodegradability and biocompatibility[1][2][5]. Carboxymethyl chitosan exhibits antibacterial, antifungal, antioxidant, antiapoptotic, chelating, and moisture-retention properties[1][2][6]. It is widely used in biomedical applications such as wound healing, tissue engineering scaffolds (including hydrogels and microgels), drug delivery systems (sustained/controlled release and pH-responsive delivery), DNA delivery vectors, permeation enhancers for transdermal drugs, biosensors, bioimaging agents, cosmetics formulations, and as a component in smart materials[1][2][3][4][6]. Its mechanism of action is primarily based on its physical-chemical properties—such as enhanced solubility and ability to form gels or interact with biological tissues—rather than specific molecular targets. Carboxymethyl chitosan can be further modified for specialized functions through alkylation or grafting chemistry.

Other names

carboxymethylchitosanCMCO-carboxymethyl chitosanCMCh