Effects of concentration, degree of deacetylation and molecular weight on emulsifying properties of chitosan.

Chitosan has excellent emulsifying properties. Emulsifying activity and stability of chitosan were determined by integrated light scattering technique and turbidimetric method. The effects of concentration, degree of deacetylation and molecular weight on emulsifying properties of chitosan were systematically studied in the paper. Emulsifying activity of chitosan initially increased, arrived at the peak at 0.75% and then declined, while emulsifying stability continuously increased with a rise of chitosan concentration from 0.25% to 1.25%. Emulsifying activity and stability of chitosan initially decreased and reached the minimum, then increased with the rise of degree of deacetylation. Chitosan with DD 60.5% and 86.1% showed superior emulsifying activity and stability. Chitosan with low Mw exhibited better emulsifying activity than those with high Mw. Chitosan with Mw 410 kDa and 600 kDa showed superior emulsifying activity in the test range. Emulsifying stability of chitosan increased with a rise of Mw.