Pharmacokinetics and Biodegradation Performance of a Hydroxypropyl Chitosan Derivative

Hydroxypropyl chitosan(HP-chitosan) has been shown to have promising applications in a wide range of areas due to its biocompatibility, biodegradability and various biological activities, especially in the biomedical and pharmaceutical fields. However, it is not yet known about its pharmacokinetics and biodegradation performance, which are crucial for its clinical applications. In order to lay a foundation for its further applications and exploitations, here we carried out fluorescence intensity and GPC analyses to determine the pharmacokinetics mode of fluorescein isothiocyanate-labeled HP-chitosan(FITC-HP-chitosan) and its biodegradability. The results showed that after intraperitoneal administration at a dose of 10 mg per rat, FITC-HP-chitosan could be absorbed rapidly and distributed to liver, kidney and spleen through blood. It was indicated that FITC-HP-chitosan could be utilized effectively, and 88.47% of the FITC-HP-chitosan could be excreted by urine within 11 days with a molecular weight less than 10 k Da. Moreover, our data indicated that there was an obvious degradation process occurred in liver( 10 k Da at 24 h). In summary, HP-chitosan has excellent bioavailability and biodegradability, suggesting the potential applications of hydroxypropyl-modified chitosan as materials in drug delivery, tissue engineering and biomedical area.     

Synthesis and Characterization of a Hydroxyethyl Derivative of Chitosan and Evaluation of Its Biosafety

Hydroxyethyl chitosan(HE-chitosan) is a water-soluble derivative of chitosan with many apparent biological properties. For example, it is non-toxic and rapidly biodegradable. Moreover, HE-chitosan has advantages in water-solubility, moisture retention and gelling property due to its hydroxyethyl group. However, the biocompatibility and biodegradability of this multifunctional derivative have rarely been documented although they are critical for its application in biomedical and clinical treatments. The purpose of this work was to evaluate the biosafety of HE-chitosan, and draw important clues for its diverse applications. HE-chitosan was synthesized and characterized its chemical structure with FTIR. Its molecular weight(MW) was determined by gel permeation chromatography(GPC), and its deacetylation degree(DD) was investigated through potentiometric analysis. The cytotoxicity of HE-chitosan on mouse fibroblast cell L929 was tested. The biocompatibility and biodegradability of HE-chitosan in rat and rabbit were evaluated. The FTIR results indicated that the hydroxyethyl groups were linked to C6 of chitosan. The GPC analysis confirmed that its Mw was about 90.01 k Da. It was also demonstrated that HE-chitosan had excellent biocompatibility and biodegradability in vivo and had no cytotoxicity on L929. These findings indicated that HE-chitosan can potentially be applied as a biomaterial in tissue engineering, drug delivery, and other biomedical fields.     

Effects of sulfate chitosan derivatives on nonalcoholic fatty liver disease

Sulfate chitosan derivatives have good solubility and therapeutic effect on the cell model of NAFLD. The aim of this study was to examine the therapeutic effect of sulfate chitosan derivatives on NAFLD. The male Wistar rats were orally fed high fat emulsion and received sulfate chitosan derivatives for 5 weeks to determine the pre-treatment effect of sulfate chitosan derivatives on NAFLD. To evaluate the therapeutic effect of sulfate chitosan derivatives on NAFLD, the rats were orally fed with high concentration emulsion for 5 weeks, followed by sulfate chitosan derivatives for 3 weeks. Histological analysis and biomedical assays showed that sulfate chitosan derivatives can dramatically prevent the development of hepatic steatosis in hepatocyte cells. In animal studies, pre-treatment and treatment with sulfate chitosan derivatives significantly protected against hepatic steatohepatitis induced by high fat diet according to histological analysis. Furthermore, increased TC, ALT, MDA, and LEP in NAFLD were significantly ameliorated by pre-treatment and treatment with sulfate chitosan derivatives. Furthermore, increased TG, AST, and TNF-α in NAFLD were significantly ameliorated by treatment with sulfate chitosan derivatives. Sulfate chitosan derivatives have good pre-treatment and therapeutic effect on NAFLD.     

Researches on the Internal Molecular Weight Uniformity of Chitosan Biomaterials

Uniform molecular weight(Mw)chitosan(CS)is highly demanded in medical biomaterial industry.This present article described heterogeneous degradation of CS in aqueous HCl/ethanol solution,in which progress uniform Mw CS was successfully prepared.The Mw distribution of CS was measured by gel permeation chromatography(GPC)analysis.Moreover,the structure and properties of degraded CS were characterized by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy(FT-IR),nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy(^1H NMR),X-ray diffraction(XRD)and thermogravimetric(TG)analysis.In addition,the biocompatibility of degraded CS was also assessed by hemolysis rate(HR)measurement.The Mw of CS dramatically decreased from 246 KDa to 76 k Da at the initial 30 min,and stabilized at 18 kDa after 24 h.GPC analysis results showed that the degraded CS molecular become homogenization.FT-IR and 1 H NMR analysis confirmed the basic structure of CS molecular backbone was not destroyed during this progress.Besides,the water solubility of CS was not significantly influenced by this reaction.Moreover,the XRD analysis revealed that crystallinity of degraded CS increased from 70.32% to 99.25%with time.The TG analysis showed improved thermal stability of degraded CS.HR measurement demonstrated the degraded CS possessed excellent biocompatibility.This simple and efficient heterogeneous degradation would open up a new route to produce uniform Mw CS.     

Analgesis and wound healing effect of chitosan and carboxymethyl chitosan on scalded rats

Analgesis and wound healing effect of chitosan and carboxymethyl chitosan on scalded rats were investigated. A II degree scald model was established in rats, which was subsequently treated with chitosan and carboxymethyl chitosan solution, respectively. The concentration of bradykinin and 5-hydroxytryptophan was detected by assaying enzyme-linked immunosorbent. Healing condition was observed and pathological sections were made to determine the healing effect of chitosan and carboxymethyl chitosan. Results showed that the concentration of bradykinin and 5-hydroxytryptophan peaked at the third hour post-wound in all groups, while the concentration of hydroxyproline peaked at the seventh day post-wound in both chitosan and carboxymethyl chitosan group. The concentration of bradykinin and 5-hydroxytryptophan of carboxymethyl chitosan group was significantly lower than that of control (P < 0.05), while that of chitosan group was similar to that of control (P > 0.05). These findings indicated that carboxymethyl chitosan reduced the concentration of algogenic substances, resulting in analgesia. During the whole recovery process, the hydroxyproline concentration in chitosan and carboxymethyl chitosan group on day 3 and 7 was significantly higher than that of control (P < 0.01); however the significance of such a highness decreased on day 14 (P < 0.05). These findings indicated that chitosan and carboxymethyl chitosan accelerated tissue repair. Meanwhile, chitosan performed better in healing than carboxymethyl chitosan in both decrustation and healing time. In conclusion, carboxymethyl chitosan showed significant analgesis and wound-healing promotion effect, but chitosan only showed wound-healing promotion effect.     

Establishing Gene Delivery Systems Based on Small-Sized Chitosan Nanoparticles

Chitosan is a natural cationic polysaccharide,which is often used for preparing biomedical materials because of its high biocompatibility.In this study,chitosan with a molecular weight of 160 k Da was chosen to prepare chitosan nanoparticles(CSNPs) as gene vectors by ionic cross-linking with tripolyphosphate(TPP).CSNPs were characterized in terms of particle size,zeta potential,and polydispersity index(PDI) using a Zetasizer,and morphology was evaluated by transmission electron microscopy(TEM).Furthermore,the cytotoxicity and biocompatibility of CSNPs were correspondingly examined by a 3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide(MTT) assay and histological examination.Agarose gel electrophoresis and UV spectrophotometric methods were performed to measure the loading capacity.The cell transfection efficiency of CSNPs loaded with plasmids or si RNA was analyzed by fluorescence microscopy or laser scanning confocal microscopy.The results showed that CSNPs were prepared successfully by the ionic gelation method,which had a smaller particle size(100 nm-200 nm),stable dispersibility,low cytotoxicity,good tissue-biocompatibility,and high gene-loading efficiency.These CSNPs could transfer the plasmids or si RNA to cells.However,CSNPs might have a much higher transfection efficiency for si RNAs than for plasmids,which implies that CSNPs might be a safer and more efficient vector for delivering si RNAs rather than plasmids.     

Degradation of wetlands on the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau: A comparison of the effectiveness of three indicators

The Qinghai-Tibet Plateau encompasses a large quantity of wetlands, some of which have been degraded to varying severity levels. In the literature, a number of degradation indicators have been proposed to evaluate ecological health of wetlands, but their effectiveness in the plateau environment remains unknown. In this study, we assessed the effectiveness of three degradation indicators, soil moisture content at 10 cm deep, vegetative cover, and density of pika burrows. The degradation severity of wetlands in Maduo County on the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau is enumerated at four levels, intact, slight, moderate and severe. Analysis of 106 samples collected in the field demonstrates that the density of pika burrows is the least reliable indicator. By comparison, vegetative cover and underlying soil moisture content are more reliable, even though neither is a perfect indicator as the difference among adjacent levels of severity as revealed by t-test is not always statistically significant. The imperfection of vegetative cover as an indicator is due to its variation among different types of wetlands. The limitation of moisture content is attributed to its non-linear relationship with wetland degradation. Above the threshold of about 50% in moisture content wetlands are unlikely to be degraded. It is recommended that moisture be measured at the point near the surface and vegetative cover be further differentiated by species in order to improve their effectiveness.     

Preparation and characterization of magnetic resin made from chitosan and cerium

In this study,the water-based ferromagnetic fluid and magnetic resin made from chitosan and cerium complex(MRCCC) were successfully prepared by using the chemical co-precipitation technique and by the reversed-phase suspension cross-linking polymerization.MRCCC presented uniform and narrow particle size distribution as determined by the Laser Particles Sizer.The Inductively Coupled Plasma-Atomic Emission Spectrometry(ICP-AES),Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy(FT-IR),differential scanning calorimetry(DSC)and X-ray powder diffraction(XRD)study demonstrated that there were iron and cerium existing in MRCCC.The movement of MRCCC under magnetic field proved its magnetic property.The swelling kinetics in water or solutions with different pH indicated that MRCCC could be applied in solutions with pH greater than 1.0.The ferromagnetic fluid particles were stable in MRCCC soaked in solutions with pH >2.0.In view of these results,MRCCC can be used as material for separation,clarification,adsorption,sustained release and hydrolysis activity.     

半叶马尾藻多糖的一般生殖毒性

交配前雄性大鼠分别按每 kg 体质量1.25、2.50、5.00 g 的剂量灌服半叶马尾藻多糖,连续灌胃60 d,雌性大鼠分别以相同剂量连续灌胃14 d,以雄雌1∶1的比例合笼5 d,每天做阴道分泌物涂片检查,见精子者记为妊娠第1天,交配后雄鼠处死,测定血清睾酮(T)水平,取雄鼠附睾进行精子成活率、精子计数和精子畸形率测定,计算睾丸、附睾脏器比,并进行病理组织学检查;雌鼠继续灌胃至妊娠7 d,于妊娠14 d 处死,计算受孕率、着床数、黄体数、死胎、活胎和吸收胎,测定血清促卵泡生成素(FSH)、黄体生成素(LH)和雌二醇(E2)水平,计算脏器比并进行病理组织学检查.结果显示,给药组大鼠的精子成活率、精子计数、精子畸形率、受孕率、着床数、黄体数、死胎、活胎、吸收胎、睾丸、附睾和卵巢脏器比以及血清 T、FSH、LH 和 E2水平与对照组相比差异无统计学意义(P >0.05),生殖器官病理组织学检查未见明显异常.在本实验条件下,半叶马尾藻多糖对大鼠无明显生殖毒性     

Degradation significantly decreased the ecosystem multifunctionality of three alpine grasslands: evidences from a large-scale survey on the Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau

Owing to the joint effects of ecosystem fragility,anthropogenic disturbance and climate change,alpine grasslands(alpine meadow,alpine steppe and alpine desert)have experienced serious degradation during the past several decades.Grasslands degradation has severely affected the delivery of ecosystem multifunctionality(EMF)and services,and then threatens the livelihood of local herdsmen and ecological security of China.However,we still lack comprehensive insights about the effects of degradation and climatic factors on EMF of alpine grasslands,especially for alpine desert ecosystem.Therefore,we applied a large-scale field investigation to answer this question.Our results suggested grassland degradation significantly decreased the belowground ecosystem multifunctionality(BEMF)and EMF of alpine grasslands and aboveground ecosystem multifunctionality(AEMF)of alpine meadow,while did not reduce the AEMF of alpine steppe and desert.Except for the insignificant difference between degraded steppe and degraded desert in AEMF,the alpine meadow showed the highest AEMF,BEMF and EMF,alpine steppe ranked the second and alpine desert was the lowest.AEMF,BEMF and EMF of health alpine grasslands were strongly affected by mean annual precipitation(MAP)(19%-51%)and mean annual temperature(MAT)(9%-36%),while those of degraded meadow and degraded desert were not impacted by precipitation and temperature.AEMF and BEMF showed a synergistic relationship in healthy alpine grasslands(12%-28%),but not in degraded grasslands.Our findings emphasized the urgency of implementing the feasible ecological restoration project to mitigate the negative influences of grassland degradation on EMF of alpine ecosystems.     

Preliminary study on PAH degradation by bacteria from contaminated sediments in Xiamen Western Sea,Fujian, China

In order to estimate the biodegradation of three polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) compounds, bacterial strains were isolated from marine sediments in three heavily contaminated sites (Yuandang Lake, Dongdu Port and Aquacultural zones in Maluan Bay) in Xiamen Western Sea. The results show three bacterial strains, which used pyrene as the sole carbon source, were identified as strains of Aureobacterium sp.,Arthrobacter sp., Rhodococcus sp. The PAH-degrading bacteria isolated had a strong ability to degrade phenanhrene, fluoranthene and pyrene at different degradation rates. The highest degradation rate was observed when three PAH compounds were mixed with an individual strain in the medium. The three PAHs were degraded after one week with a degradation rate of 89.94 % for phenanthrene and 93.4 % for both of fluoranthene and pyrene.In addition, after 25 days of incubation, the degradation rate was 99.98 % for phenanthrene and 99.97 % for both of fluoranthene and pyrene. Optical density was measured to estimate bacterial growth during the degradation of PAHs. Highest levels of bacterial growth were observed with a three PAH mixture in the culture, suggesting that the concentration of PAHs influenced bacterial growth and the highest levels of degradation for most series were detected after one week of incubation.     

Degradation of a protected mountain area by tourist traffic: case study of the Tatra National Park,Poland

Mountain protected areas are characterized by high biodiversity, which makes it a great challenge for managers to maintain a balance between their use and the stability of natural ecosystems. Maintaining that balance is particularly difficult in areas with high tourism pressure. The expected volume of tourist traffic should be considered at the planning stage of the tourist infrastructure development process. Insufficient capacity of tourist infrastructure can lead to environmental degradation, which is hard, or at times impossible, to repair. In our research, we identified patterns of tourist footpath and road functioning in an environmentally protected area with high volumes of tourist traffic. Data from geomorphologic mapping was analyzed in order to identify tourist footpath and road structures in the Tatra National Park(TNP). Fieldwork was conducted in several stages between 1995 and 2019. Orthophotomaps from the years 1977, 2009, 2017 and 2019 were used to identify and compare degraded zones along selected tourist footpaths. Degraded zones were defined as areas surrounding a footpath or tourist road with a mean width larger than or equal to 10 meters, with heavily damaged or completely removed vegetation and exposed, weathered cover, where geomorphic processes that would not take place under normal conditions are readily observable. The examined tourist footpaths and roads vary in terms of their morphometric parameters. Research has shown important differences between mean and maximum footpath width as well as maximum incision depth for the forest zone versus the subalpine and alpine zones. A lack of differences in these parameters was noted between the alpine and subalpine zones. Research has shown that an increase in the surface area of degraded zones found adjacent to tourist footpaths occurred in all the studied geo-ecological zones in the study period. However, the largest increase occurred atop wide ridgelines found in the alpine zone. Degraded zones may be an indication of exceeding the tourist carrying capacity of a mountain tourist area. Mass tourism in TNP contributes to the formation of degraded zones adjacent to footpaths, whose continuous evolution may lead to irreversible changes in local relief.     

Construction and characterization of Gal-chitosan graft methoxy poly (ethylene glycol) (Gal-CS-mPEG) nanoparticles as efficient gene carrier

In the present study, galactosylated chitosan (Gal-CS) was conjugated with methoxy poly(ethylene glycol) (mPEG) as a hydrophilic group. The structure of Gal-CS-mPEG polymer was characterized and the nanoparticles (NPs) were prepared using ironic gelation method. The study was designed to investigate the characteristics and functions of Gal-CS-mPEG NPs. The morphology of Gal-CS-mPEG NPs was observed by SEM and it was a compact and spherical shape. The size of the NPs was approximately 200 nm in diameter under the ideal process parameters. The interaction between Gal-CS-mPEG NPs and pDNA, and the protection of pDNA against DNase I and serum degradation by Gal-CS-mPEG NPs were evaluated. Agarose gel electrophoresis results showed that Gal-CS-mPEG NPs had strong interaction with pDNA at the weight ratio of 12:1, 4:1 and 2:1 and could protect pDNA from DNase I and serum degradation. Gal-CS-mPEG NPs exhibited high loading efficiency and sustainable in vitro release. The blood compatibility studies demonstrated that Gal-CS-mPEG NPs had superior compatibility with erythrocytes in terms of aggregation degree and hemolysis level. Gal-CS-mPEG NPs showed no cytotoxicity on L929 cells, which is a normal mouse connective tissue fibroblast, but showed inhibitory effects on the proliferation of Bel-7402 cells, which is a liver cancer cell line. In conclusion, Gal-CS-mPEG NP is a bio-safe and efficient gene carrier with potential application in gene delivery.     

Quantifying land degradation in the Zoige Basin,NE Tibetan Plateau using satellite remote sensing data

Considerable efforts have been dedicated to desertification research in the arid and semi-arid drylands of central Asia. However, there are few quantitative studies in conjunction with proper qualitative evaluation concerning land degradation and aeolian activity in the alpine realm. In this study, spectral information from two Landsat-5 TM scenes (04.08.1994 and 28.07.2009, respectively) was combined with reference information obtained in the field to run supervised classifications of eight landscape types for both time steps. Subsequently, the temporal and spatial patterns of the alpine wetlands/grasslands evolutions in the Zoige Basin were quantified and assessed based on these two classification maps. The most conspicuous change is the sharp increase of ~627 km² degraded meadow. Concerning other land-covers, shallow wetland increases ~107 km² and aeolian sediments (mobile dunes and sand sheets) have an increase of ~30 km². Considering the deterioration, an obvious decrease of ~440 km² degraded wetland can be observed. Likewise, decrease of deep wetland (~78 km²), humid meadow (~80 km²) and undisturbed meadow (~88 km²) were determined. These entire evolution matrixes undoubtedly hint a deteriorating tendency of the Zoige Basin ecosystem, which is characterized by significantly declined proportion of intact wetlands, meadow, rangeland and a considerable increase of degraded meadow and larger areas of mobile dunes. In particular, not only temporal alteration of the land-cover categories, the spatial and topographical characteristics of the land degradation also deserves more attention. In the alpine rangelands, the higher terraces of the river channels along with their slopes are more liable to the degradation and desertification. This tendency has significantly impeded the nomadic and agriculture activities. The set of anthropozoogenic factors encompassing enclosures, overgrazing and trampling, rodent damaging and exceedingly ditching in the wetlands are assumed to be the main controlling mechanisms for the landscape degradation. A suite of strict protection policies is urgent and indispensable for self-regulation and restoration of the alpine meadow ecosystem. Controlling the size of livestock, less ditching in the rangeland, and the launching of a more strict nature reserve management by adjacent Ruoergai, Maqu and Hongyuan Counties would be practical and efficacious in achieving these objectives.     

Photochemical degradation of triadimefon in seawater

The photochemical degradation of triadimefon in seawater was investigated under different reaction conditions in this study. The results showed that triadimefon could be effectively degraded by the irradiation of a high-pressure mercury lamp and the photodegradation rotes were influenced by aquatic media, heavy metal ions and photosensitizers. The photochemical degradation of triadimefon followed the first-order reaction kinetic behavior, with the rate constants ranging from 0.0027 to 0.0128 min-1 under the studied conditions. The photolysis of triadimefon was slower in natural seawater than in distilled water or synthetic seawater. All the heavy metal ions studied in this paper had inhibition effects on the photolysis of triadimefon. Acetone, as a common photosensitizer, could accelerate the photolysis of triadimefon. Three photoproducts were identified by GC-MS analysis. Our study confirmed that photochemical degradation is an effective pathway to remove triadimefon in seawater.     

2001-2010年蒙古国MODIS-NDVI时空变化监测分析

利用2001 - 2010年的空间分辨率为1km的MODIS-NDVI数据,以蒙古国为研究区域,利用最大值合成法、均值法与差值法、一元线性回归等方法,分析了不同季节下植被覆盖的年内变化、年际变化与波动趋势、空间变化特征.结果表明:M(ODIS- NDVI对植被的生长变化具有较高的敏感度,可有效应用于植被生态的评估和监测...     

Preparation of cationic chitosan-polyacrylamide flocculant and its properties in wastewater treatment

Chitosan derived from crab shells,was used to prepare the graft polymer in aqueous solution with acrylamide (AM) and methacrylatoethyl trimethyl ammonium chloride (DMC) as raw materials and ceric ammonium nitrate (CAN) as initiator.The floc-culation ability of the resulting polymer (PCAD) was studied in waste water treatment experiments.Its properties were determined on the basis of the transmittance of waste water after flocculation.The effects of chitosan and DMC content on PCAD’s flocculation ability wer...     

Restoration and rational use of degraded saline reed wetlands: A case study in western Songnen Plain, China

The protection, restoration and sustainable use are key issues of all the wetlands worldwide. Ecological, agronomic, and engineering techniques have been integrated in the development of a structurally sound, ecologically beneficial engineering restoration method for restoring and utilizing a degraded saline wetland in the western Songnen Plain of China. Hydrological restoration was performed by developing a system of biannual irrigation and drainage using civil engineering measures to bring wetlands into contact with river water and improve the irrigation and drainage system in the wetlands. Agronomic measures such as plowing the reed fields, reed rhizome transplantation, and fertilization were used to restore the reed vegetation. Biological measures, including the release of crab and fish fry and natural proliferation, were used to restore the aquatic communities. The results of the restoration were clear and positive. By the year 2009, the reed yield had increased by 20.9 times. Remarkable ecological benefits occurred simultaneously. Vegetation primary-production capacity increased, local climate regulation and water purification enhanced, and biodiversity increased. This demonstration of engineering techniques illustrates the basic route for the restoration of degraded wetlands, that the biodiversity should be reconstructed by the comprehensive application of engineering, biological, and agronomic measures based on habitat restoration under the guidance of process-oriented strategies. The complex ecological system including reeds, fish and crabs is based on the biological principles of coexistence and material recycling and provides a reasonable ecological engineering model suitable for the sustainable utilization of degraded saline reed wetlands.     

三江源南部草地退化时空特征分析

本文利用三江源南部1977年MSS、1990年TM和2004年TM三期遥感影像,结合1∶10万地形图、1∶100万草地图、1∶100万植被图和野外考察等资料,分析该区草地退化的时空变化特征和规律。结果表明:该区草地总体呈轻度退化,即为轻度破碎化退化、轻度覆盖度下降、轻度破碎化和轻度覆盖度下降复合型退化,共占研究区退化总面积的84.3%;轻度退化草地主要散布在唐古拉山东北部区域,中度退化草地多数分布于河流、居民点周围,草地轻度沙化/盐化退化主要发生在湖盆周围、河岸附近、滩地等区域。草地退化面积随海拔高度升高近似于正态分布,退化面积集中4 400～5 300m左右。1977～1990年和1990～2004年前后两期草地退化面积占研究区草地面积12.6%和18.9%,指示着草地状况的恶化。同时,对前后两个时段比较发现,草地退化发生以破碎化为先导,随后发生覆盖度持续降低。沼泽和沼泽化草甸的变化反映了区内气候的趋干化。另外,受气候条件等因素的影响,前期草地和沼泽变化有转好迹象。     

Chitosan extends the shelf-life of filleted tilapia (Oreochromis niloticus) during refrigerated storage

Shelf-life extension of aquatic products is of significant economical importance. To determine the potential effect of chitosan on the shelf-life of filleted tilapia, this study analyzed the bacterial community diversity in fresh and spoiled tilapia fillets stored at (4 ± 1)℃ and examined the antimicrobial activity of chitosan against relevant bacteria isolates. Results showed that Pseudomonas (20%) and Aeromonas (16%) were abundant in fresh tilapia fillets, whereas Pseudomonas (52%), Aeromonas (32%) and Staphylococcus (12%) were dominant in the spoiled samples. Chitosan showed wide-spectrum antibacterial activity against bacteria isolated from tilapia and 5.0 g L-1 chitosan was selected for application in preservation. We further determined the shelf-life of chitosan-treated, filleted tilapia stored at (4 ± 1)℃ based on microbiological, biochemical and sensory analyses. Results showed that the shelf-life of chitosan-treated, filleted tilapia was extended to 12 d, whereas that of untreated, control samples was 6 d. These indicate that chitosan, as a natural preservative, has great application potential in the shelf-life extension of tilapia fillets.