Anticancer activity of chemically prepared shrimp low molecular weight chitin evaluation with the human monocyte...

In the present study, anticancer activities of chitin, chitosan and low molecular weight chitin were evaluated using a human tumour cell line, THP-1. A molecular weight-activity relationship and an electrostatic interaction-activity relationship were determined. The cytotoxic effects of chitin and derivatives were also evaluated using a normal human foetal lung fibroblastic cell line, MRC-5 and the specific cytotoxicity of chitin and derivatives to tumour cell lines was demonstrated. The high antitumour effect of low molecular weight of chitin was established.