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Review
. 2010 Sep 15;8(9):2493-516.
doi: 10.3390/md8092493.

N-acetylglucosamine: production and applications

Jeen-Kuan Chen  1 , Chia-Rui Shen, Chao-Lin Liu
Affiliations
Review

N-acetylglucosamine: production and applications

Jeen-Kuan Chen et al. Mar Drugs. .

Abstract

N-Acetylglucosamine (GlcNAc) is a monosaccharide that usually polymerizes linearly through (1,4)-β-linkages. GlcNAc is the monomeric unit of the polymer chitin, the second most abundant carbohydrate after cellulose. In addition to serving as a component of this homogeneous polysaccharide, GlcNAc is also a basic component of hyaluronic acid and keratin sulfate on the cell surface. In this review, we discuss the industrial production of GlcNAc, using chitin as a substrate, by chemical, enzymatic and biotransformation methods. Also, newly developed methods to obtain GlcNAc using glucose as a substrate in genetically modified microorganisms are introduced. Moreover, GlcNAc has generated interest not only as an underutilized resource but also as a new functional material with high potential in various fields. Here we also take a closer look at the current applications of GlcNAc, and several new and cutting edge approaches in this fascinating area are thoroughly discussed.

Keywords: N-acetylglucosamine; carbohydrate; chitin.

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Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Production of GlcNAc using chitin as a substrate. (1) Chemical methods; (2) Enzymatic methods; (3) Improved enzymatic methods; and (4) Biotransformation methods.
Figure 2
Figure 2
Two-stage chitin-hydrolyss bioreactor.
Figure 3
Figure 3
Production of GlcNAc by biotransformation.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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