Preparation of 2,6-diurea-chitosan oligosaccharide derivatives for efficient antifungal and antioxidant activities

In this study, 2-urea-chitosan oligosaccharide derivatives (2-urea-COS derivatives) and 2,6-diurea-chitosan oligosaccharide derivatives (2,6-diurea-COS derivatives) were successfully designed and synthesized via intermediate 2-methoxyformylated chitosan oligosaccharide. All samples were characterized and compared based on FT-IR, H-1 NMR spectroscopy, and elemental analysis. The antifungal effects of COS derivatives were tested against Fusarium oxysporum f. sp. niveum, Phomopsis asparagus, and Botrytis cinereal. Their antioxidant properties, including superoxide radicals' scavenging activity, hydroxyl radicals' scavenging activity, and DPPH radicals' scavenging activity were also explored within different concentrations. COS derivatives bearing urea groups showed improved bioactivity compared with pristine COS and 2,6-diurea-COS derivatives had a higher biological activity than 2-urea-COS derivatives in tested concentrations. Additionally, L929 cells were used to carry out cytotoxicity test of COS and COS derivatives by CCK-8 assay. The results indicated that some of samples showed low cytotoxicity. These findings offered a suggestion that COS derivatives bearing urea groups are promising biological materials.