Development of chitosan film using fungal chitosan from absidia butleri dr. / Ahmad Ridza Ahmad Nizam

Chitosan is the product produced from the deacetylation of chitin when it is dissolved in diluted acetic acid. Chitosan can be made into chitosan film and has high potential to be applied in agriculture, food and especially pharmaceutical industry. In this study, fungal chitosan derived from Absidia butleri dr. which is a low molecular weight chitosan was used to make chitosan films. 2.5%w/v of chitosan was dissolved with 0.5 %, 1 % and 2%v/v acetic acid. The solution was then stand for drying in the oven for 7 days with the temperature of 40 °c. The produced films were then analyzed by using FTIR equipment and the samples were analysed with wavelength region ranged from 4000 cm" to 400 cm-I. The spectrum showed that the absorbance produced by the samples was similar to the spectrum obtained from unprocessed fungal chitosan and with commercial chitosan except that more absorbance was observed between the wavelengths of 1600 cm-1 to 1000 cm-I in pure fungal chitosan. This is due to the effect from mixing with the stated amount of acetic acid. Therefore, fungal chitosan derived from Absidia butleri dr. is suitable to develop chitosan film due to it possessing many unique properties such as antibacterial and antifungal effects. Besides, with its low molecular weight properties, it can develop smooth surface chitosan film which contributes to its high penetrable into the skin when applying as transdermal drug delivery system.