Iranian Company Produces Biodegradable Chitosan Polymer from Mushrooms for 1st Time Worldwide

Chitosan is a natural polysaccharide that is the most important and commenoly used biopolymer after cellulose. This biopolymer is one of the most important biopolymers in nature and is the most abundant after cellulose on the planet. Chitosan is obtained from the skin of some crustaceans such as shrimp, sea crab, some insects and from the structure of organisms such as bacteria, fungi, yeast and molluscs. This biopolymer has important applications in different fields of medicine, pharmaceuticals, agriculture, food and textile industries.

Currently, a technological company has succeeded in producing and developing this broadly used biopolymer from edible mushrooms.

 “Our company operates in the field of biopolymers, herbal medicines, and especially has focused on the production of chitosan biopolymer from edible mushrooms,” Ramin Mohammadi Alucheh, the company's managing director and a professor at Islamic Azad University(IAU)- Central Tehran branch told ANA correspondent.

“Previously, the skin of insects, crustaceans, and shrimps were used to produce and prepare this biopolymer, but due to the fact that there is no access to shrimps or crustaceans in all parts of the country, we use technology and through the efforts of young Iranian researchers to produce chitosan biopolymer from edible mushrooms; given the fact that mushroom farms are there in different parts of the country, then the raw material for producing this biopolymer is available for free; because mushroom farms hand over to us their waste for free,” the researcher said.

"This biopolymer is used in food, cosmetics, industrial, medical, and agricultural arenas. For example, in medicine, we can use chitosan biopolymer to produce sutures that are biodegradable, and on the other hand, they help to accelerate wound healing, or in agriculture, the speed of seed germination increases after using this biopolymer; Also, in the food industry, to produce packaging that increases the shelf life of food," Mohammadi Alucheh went on to say.

IAU professor added that knowledge-based companies can buy this product from them, which is prepared in powder format and in different weights.

“This biopolymer is available in two types, high weight for industrial use and low weight for medical use. This product is completely competitive with foreign samples in terms of chemistry, purity and quality, and is even better in some cases,” he continued.

"If only this product is supported and we can receive funds for starting its mass production previously, we will not need to import it anymore and it saves us a lot of money. Biopolymers were previously imported from other countries such as China," the company's project chief exective said.

“Currently, we have produced bandages using nanochitosan, which is very effective in treating burns, and the raw material of this product is used for other products,” IAU researcher further said.

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