Chitosan-Based Coatings for Food, Pharmaceutical and Medical Applications

Dear Colleagues,

The use of chitosan-based coatings for food, pharmaceutical and medical applications has gained increasing interest in recent years. Chitosan is abundant, renewable and hence sustainable and possesses an interesting macromolecular structure and physicochemical properties that can be manipulated under different environmental conditions to fit various applications. Its safety, biodegradability, biocompatibility and intrinsic functional properties make it an ideal candidate for coating numerous materials for various purposes.

This Special Issue focuses on novel applications of chitosan-based coatings in (1) food, such as functional food formulations, food additives, antioxidant and antimicrobial coatings, food protection, nutraceuticals, anticholesterolemic dietary products, flavor encapsulation, bioactive compound protection, nano- and microencapsulation, food powders, edible films, fibers, beads, gels, food packaging, shelf-life extension, color stabilizers, controlled release, moisture transfer, feed additives, essential oil stabilization and other related research; (2) pharmaceuticals, such as drug formulation, delivery vehicles, controlled drug release, transfection-enhancing properties, sponges, tablets, capsules, solutions, gels, fibers, films, implants for drug delivery, chitosan-coated drugs for oral, nasal, buccal, ocular, vaginal, parenteral, transdermal and intravesical administration, hydrogels, wound dressing, gene, vaccine and site-specific antibiotic delivery, nanoparticles, microspheres, emulsion, coacervation, gelation, matrix coating, absorption enhancement, permeation enhancers, transmucosal administration, imaging agents, cross-linking reactions and other related pharmaceutical applications; (3) medicine, such as cancer therapy, drug delivery, biofabrication, gene therapy, delivery agents for anticancer drugs, cancer diagnosis, biomedical materials, 2D and 3D scaffolds, regenerative medicine, implants, orthopedics, imaging, dental implants, biomedical engineering, tissue engineering, medical devices, adsorption of protein onto biomaterials, cell–biomaterial interactions, cell adhesion and other related research.

We encourage researchers to submit original research articles and reviews on any of the various applications of chitosan-based coatings for publication. This Special Issue will provide new insights into the application of the materials and proffer solutions to the current challenges impeding future application and expansion.

Prof. Dr. Chibuike C. Udenigwe
Dr. Ogadimma Desmond Okagu
Guest Editors

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