Chitosan is a seafood by-product obtained by deacetylation
of chitin (6). It is a cationic polysaccharide with
high molecular mass, excellent film-forming ability and
antimicrobial activity. Systematic investigations have been
made of the effects of factors such as acid types and
concentrations, molecular mass of chitosan, and the degree
of deacetylation of chitosan on the mechanical properties
and barrier characteristics of chitosan films (7–9).
The findings show that chitosan films are brittle and not suitable for use in the dry state. These properties of chitosan
films are ameliorated by incorporating other polysaccharides
and hydrophobic materials such as pectin,
cellulose, methylcellulose, starch and fatty acids (10–13).