Chitosan as a natural polymer material, has shown broad application prospects in various fields such as medicine, food, agriculture, environmental protection, cosmetics, etc. due to its excellent biocompatibility, degradability, antibacterial properties, and other characteristics.

1. Medical field

Chitosan is widely used in biomedical materials, including drug delivery carriers, wound dressings, and tissue engineering scaffolds. Its antibacterial properties can promote wound healing, reduce the risk of infection, and have significant advantages in chronic wound care.

Chitosan is used in medical devices for manufacturing surgical sutures, artificial skin, bone repair materials, etc. Its biodegradability and biocompatibility are utilized to reduce the risk of secondary surgery.

Chitosan is used in drug delivery systems, and chitosan nanoparticles can serve as targeted drug carriers to improve drug efficacy and reduce side effects.

2. Food industry

Chitosan is used as a functional food additive and can serve as a source of dietary fiber. It can be added to beverages, dairy products, and baked goods to enhance satiety and regulate blood sugar levels. As a preservative, its antibacterial and film-forming properties make it an ideal preservative for fruits, vegetables, meats, and other foods, extending their shelf life. As a clarifying agent, it is used for clarifying liquid foods such as fruit juice and alcohol to improve product transparency and stability.

3. In the field of agriculture

Chitosan can be used for plant protection to induce plant resistance, prevent and control fungal, bacterial, and viral diseases, while promoting plant growth and increasing yield. Chitosan, as a soil conditioner, can improve soil structure, increase beneficial microbial activity, and reduce the use of fertilizers and pesticides. Chitosan is used for seed treatment, and chitosan coating can improve seed germination rate and enhance stress resistance (such as drought resistance and salt alkali resistance).

4. Environmental protection field

The efficient adsorption performance of chitosan for water treatment makes it an ideal material for removing harmful substances such as heavy metals and dyes from water. Chitosan is used for soil remediation, which can degrade organic pollutants and heavy metals in soil and restore soil ecological functions. Chitosan is used for oil pollution control, and chitosan derivatives can adsorb and disperse marine oil pollution, reducing environmental pollution.

5.  Cosmetics and Personal Care

Chitosan, as a moisturizing agent, has excellent moisturizing properties and can be added to skincare products to enhance the skin barrier function. Chitosan, as an antibacterial agent, has natural antibacterial properties that make it an ideal ingredient for oral care products such as toothpaste and mouthwash. Chitosan can be used for hair care to repair damaged hair strands, improve hair luster and smoothness.

6. Textile and materials field

Chitosan is used in antibacterial textiles, and chitosan coatings can endow textiles with antibacterial properties, which are used in medical clothing, sportswear, etc. Chitosan is used as a biodegradable material, and chitosan based bioplastics can replace traditional plastics and reduce white pollution. Chitosan is used as an adsorbent material in the production of air purifier filters, deodorizers, etc., to adsorb harmful gases and odors.

7.  Other applications

Chitosan is used for wastewater treatment, and chitosan flocculants can effectively remove suspended solids and organic matter from wastewater. Chitosan can be used for heavy metal adsorption treatment of heavy metal ions such as electroplating wastewater and mining wastewater. Chitosan based materials can be used to construct highly sensitive biosensors for detecting biomolecules and environmental pollutants.