The factors and mechanism of conformational transition of chitosans in dilute solution

博士 === 國立海洋大學 === 水產食品科學系 === 85 === The effects of extrinsic factors such as ionic strength, pH, urea concentration,temperature etc. and intrinsic factor such as molecular weight on conformation ofchitosan molecules in diluted solution were studied. Chit...

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Bibliographic Details
Main Authors: Tsaih, Min Larng, 蔡敏郎
Other Authors: Chen Rong-Huei
Format: Others
Language:zh-TW
Published: 1997
Online Access:http://ndltd.ncl.edu.tw/handle/51096994980260142536
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Summary:博士 === 國立海洋大學 === 水產食品科學系 === 85 === The effects of extrinsic factors such as ionic strength, pH, urea concentration,temperature etc. and intrinsic factor such as molecular weight on conformation ofchitosan molecules in diluted solution were studied. Chitin was extracted from redshrimp (Solemocera prominenitis) process waste. Six different degree of deacetylation(DD) chitosans were prepared by hot alkali deacetylation from prepared chitin. Tendifferent molecular weights with 83% DD chitosans were produced by ultrasonificationtreatment on 83% DD chitosan acetic acid solution for various times. The weightaverage molecular weight (Mw) of these fifteen chitosans were measured by static lightscattering. Those chitosans were then used as standard molecular weight sample fordetermining weight average retention volume (RVw) by high performance sizeexclusion chromatography (HPSEC) or intrinsic viscosity ([h]) by capillary viscometry. These relationships between Mw and RVw and intrinsic viscosity, respectively weremade. Ten chitosans with the same 83% DD but different in molecular weight (78 ℃).Intrinsic viscosity or diffusion coefficient of these solutions were determined bycapillary visocmetry or dynamic light scattering, respectively. Double logarithmic plotsof intrinsic viscosities or diffusion coefficients vs. Mws were made, and regressionanalysis was performed to obtain Mark-Houwink equations. The exponents a or eobtained were used as the conformation indicators. The effects of solution conditions( ionic strength, pH, and urea concentration), temperature, and molecular weight onchitosan conformation were elucidated.The results were divided into following 5 parts:1. The relationships between weight average molecular weight and the weight averageretention volume of high performance size exclusion chromatography and Mark-Houwink viscometric constants for chitosans: Relationships of RVw and Mw fordifferent Mw of 83% DD chitosans are Log Mw = - 0.433 RVw + 11.660. However,the RVw of other chitosans with DD other than 83% do not correlate well with thisequation. It indicated DD of chitosan affect the relationship of RVw and Mw ofchitosans studied. The relationships between Mw and Mark-Houwink viscometricconstant are that Mark-Houwink constant a decreased from 0.715 to 0.521, as thesolution ionic strength increased from 0.01 M to 0.30 M, while constant k increasedfrom 5.48×10-4 to 2.04×10-3 over the same range of ionic strength solutions. Theequation established and the constants calculated indicate that DD of chitosaninfluences the relationships of Log Mw vs. RVw, and the ionic strength of the solutionaffects the Mark-Houwink constants. The established RVw and Mw equation and [h]and Mw equation (Mark-Houwink equation) can be routinely used to determine themolecular weight from RVw or from [h] of chitosan by HPSEC or by capillaryviscometer respectively without the need of an expensive instrumentation.2. Effect of molecular weight and urea on the conformation of chitosan molecules indilute solutions: The solutions with ionic strengths between 0.01 M and 0.30 M, therelative chain stiffness parameter B and the Mark- Houwink exponent a of chitosanswhose molecular weights were between 223 and 914 KDa fell between 0.143 and0.152 and from 0.404 to 0.497, respectively; whereas for chitosans whose molecularweights were between 78 and 148 KDa these values fell between 0.110 and 0.138 andfrom 0.653 to 1.009, respectively. Both results indicate that the stiffness andconformations of small molecular weight chitosans were more stiff and extended, respectively, than higher molecular weight ones, and that molecular weight-inducedconformational transition occurred. Chitosans in solutions containing 4 M ureapossessed a rod-shaped conformation in both molecular weight domains, and nomolecular weight-induced conformational transition occurred.3. Effects of ionic strength, pH on the diffusion coefficients and conformation ofchitosan molecule in solution: The diffusion coefficients increased with increasing ionicstrength or with increasing pH or with decreasing Mw. Values of e and a werebetween 0.503 to 0.571 and ranged from 0.543 to 0.632, respectively. The resultsindicate chitosans conformation were in random coil in solutions in the ranges of ionicstrength and pH studied. The values of a*, e* and a**, e**, Mark-Houwink exponentsof smaller and higher than 223 KDa chitosans, respectively, were between 0.752 to0.988, 0.585 to 0.777 for smaller Mw chitosan and between 0.406 to 0.428, 0.430 to0.518 for larger Mw chitosan, respectively. Molecular weight induced conformationaltransition were occurred because smaller Mw chitosans were more extended thanhigher Mw chitosans.4. Effect of urea concentration on the conformation of chitosan and on the shift ofbreak point of Mark-Houwink equation: The intrinsic viscosities of chitosans increasedwith the increasing of urea concentration. The [h] increase of higher Mw chitosanswere more manifest than that of lower Mw ones and the break phenomena occurred.The Mark-Houwink exponents (a) increased with increasing concentration of urea.When solution contained 0, 2, 3, 4, and 6 M urea, the value of a increased from 0.715to 0.839, 0.894, 1.000, and 1.060, respectively. This indicated conformationaltransition of chitosans happened. The changes of conformation of higher Mw chitosanswere more pronounced than smaller Mw ones. The conformation of smaller Mwchitosans were all in rod shape in solutions contained with or without urea. Whereasthe conformation of higher Mw chitosans changed to rod shape in solutions contained4 or 6 M urea from a random coil in solutions contained no urea. The break pointshifted from 223 KDa in solution contained no urea to 280 KDa in 2 or 3 M ureasolutions and to 362 KDa in 4 M urea solution and further to 481 KDa in 6 M ureasolution.5. Effect of temperature on the intrinsic viscosity and the conformation of chitosans indilute HCl solution: In 10 ℃, intrinsic viscosities of all ten different molecular weightchitosans decreased linear with measuring temperature. It indicated no temperatureinduced conformational transition occurred. The d Ln [h]/d 1/T was between 633 to1334 and increased with decreasing molecular weight. This indicated that the highermolecular weight, the more flexible the chitosan were. Between temperature of 10 ℃,Mark- Houwink exponents a were between 0.635 ℃. Regression for larger than andlower than 223 KDa chitosans were made to obetain the respective Mark-Houwinkexponents. The values for exponent a** were between 0.408 to 0.538 and for a* were0.958 to 1.067. The Mark-Houwink exponents calculated indicated larger and lowermolecular weight chitosans were in random coil and rod shape, respectively.