Surimi wash water treatment by chitosan-alginate complexes

cholesterol was significantly decreased with 8% chitosan 79% DD, but caused only
a negligible reduction with 92% DD. Chitosan (89% DD) at 30 g 1kg diet fed to
chickens significantly reduced body weights and feed intakes, total plasma
cholesterol and HDL-cholesterol concentrations (Razdan and others, 1997).
Ikeda and others (1993) studied the effect of chitosan with different
molecular weights prepared by enzymatic hydrolysis showing that low-viscosity
chitosan hydrolysate could be used as a hypocholesterolemic agent. The
hydrolysates of chitosan with MW 5,000-20,000 and low viscosity interfered with
intestinal cholesterol absorption in lymph fistulated rats and reduced liver
triglyceride significantly. Chitosan with MW of 10,000-20,000 was as effective as
high-viscosity chitosan with a molecular weight of 50,000. Generally, the effect of
chitosan diet on dietary protein digestion is very small (Lian and others, 1999).
However Razdan and Petterson (1994) and (Razdan and others, 1997) found a
significant reduction on protein digestion of broiler chicken when fed 15 g or 30
g/kg diet of chitosan (89% DD).
Studies on the effect of chitosan on glucose metabolism are limited. Chiang
and Chen (1 998a) investigated the effect of chitosan on glucose metabolism on rats
using 3% chitosan diet. They found significant decrease in plasma fructosamine
after 8 weeks of diet, but no significant difference was found for plasma glucose
and lactate levels. Liver hexokinase activity was increased, but no significant
difference in liver glycogen content and glucose-6-phosphatase activity was
observed. The authors suggested that the decrease in plasma fructosamine level
29