Antioxidant, Sun-Protective and Cytotoxic Effects of Chitosan–Glucose Derivatives: A Comparative Study

Chitosan is a versatile and promising polysaccharide with unique properties such as biodegradability, biocompatibility, non-toxicity, and antimicrobial activity, making it attractive for potential applications in various fields including biomedicine, food science, cosmetics, and environmental engineering. However, its poor solubility and antioxidant activity limits its effectiveness in some applications. In this work, a facile approach for one-pot synthesis of chitosan–glucose derivatives (CG-MRPs) by Maillard reaction using an industrially scalable hydrothermal method was described. Chitosan was functionalized with different percentages of glucose, and the resulting CG-MRPs were characterized by UV–Vis and FTIR spectroscopy, DLS, TGA, and elemental analysis. The CG-MRPs showed a fivefold increase in radical scavenging activity and improved sun-protective effect (sun protection factor 6.30 ± 0.01) compared to the neat chitosan. For the first time, cytotoxicity assays (hen’s egg test on the chorioallantoic membrane, in vivo eye irritation, and test for cytotoxicity on a suspension of bull spermatozoa) of CG-MRPs were performed. In vitro and in vivo toxicity assays confirmed that CG-MRPs had no irritating effect or systemic toxicity. This study suggested that CG-MRPs can be used as biodegradable photoprotective agents in skincare and preservatives in the food and cosmetic industries. Graphical Abstract