Abstract
Chitosan was purportedly first discovered in 1859 by Rouget while he was experimenting with chemical and thermal manipulation of the natural fiber chitin (Au Natural Herbals, 2001). Since then, chitosan has been used as a pharmaceutical excipient in sustained release dosage forms, as an immunostimulant, and to promote wound healing (Colombo and Sciutto, 1996). Chitosan’s ability to bind to a variety of substances including acids, lipophilic substances, and minerals (Jing et al., 1997) has enabled it to be used for water purification for more than 30 yr. Chitosan has been sold in Europe and Japan for the past 20 yr as a nonprescription product to inhibit fat absorption (Au Natural Herbals, 2001). Chitosan was first marketed as a dietary supplement in the United States in the late 1990s.
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Novak, K., Cupp, M.J., Tracy, T.S. (2003). Chitosan. In: Cupp, M.J., Tracy, T.S. (eds) Dietary Supplements. Forensic Science and Medicine. Humana Press, Totowa, NJ. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-59259-303-3_3
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-59259-303-3_3
Publisher Name: Humana Press, Totowa, NJ
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Online ISBN: 978-1-59259-303-3
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