Safety evaluation of chitosan and chitosan acid salts from Panurilus argus lobster

Chitosan is a natural polymer with excellent properties such as biocompatibility, biodegradability, non-toxicity and adsorptive abilities. We obtained chitosan derived from Panurilus argus lobster shell and its lactate and acetate salts to introduce in pharmaceutical industry. We examined the single and repeated dose toxicity of chitosan and its lactate and acetate salts. Single oral doses of 2000 mg/kg were well tolerated for all three materials. In the repeat dose tests, animals treated with chitosan only show a slight erythrocytes increase. Variations in erythrocyte and leukocyte count and some biochemical parameters were observed in animals treated with chitosan acid salts. One g/kg orally was found to be the subacute NOAEL for chitosan due to the hematological findings observed were not considered adverse. Chitosans obtained from Panurilus argus lobster shell have low toxicity and may be safe in rats because it did not cause any lethality or changes in the general behavior in both the single and repeated dose toxicity studies.