Recent advances in chitosan based bioactive materials for food preservation

Chitosan is a kind of abundant natural polysaccharide obtained from crustaceans such as shrimp and crab. Due to its functional activity, chitosan has been widely used in food and medical fields for its antibacterial, antioxidant, inhibitory activity and biodegradability over the last half-century. This review first comprehensively summarizes the research progress of chitosan biological activity mechanism and its modification and application of chitosan in food preservation strategy. Then we further introduces the active function strategies of different preservation techniques used to improve the film forming system, and the subsequent film forming processes, including direct coating, bioactive packaging film and layer-by-layer assembly. Finally, future development of chitosan-based bioactive film and the potential application value of chitosan active food packaging was also discussed. Over-all, our goal of this review is to provide more accessible guidance for those who are new to the field, as well as those who wish to move forward in the field.