Antioxidant activity of water-soluble chitosan derivatives

Water-soluble chitosan derivatives were prepared by graft copolymerization of maleic acid sodium onto hydroxypropyl chitosan and carboxymethyl chitosan sodium. Their scavenging activities against hydroxyl radical OH were investigated by chemiluminescence technique. They exhibit IC50 values ranging from 246 to 498 mug/mL, which should be attributed to their different contents of hydroxyl and amino groups and different substituting groups. (C) 2001 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved.