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Chitosan has been known to have an antimicrobial activity. Chitosan samples having different molecular weights were tested for the antimicrobial activity against Escherichia coli in a liquid medium and on the paper sheets coated with different types of chitosan samples. In a liquid medium, Chitosan A (Mw 3,000∼5,000) and B (Mw 200,000∼500,000) showed minimal inhibitory concentration (MIC) of 40 and 10 ㎍/㎖, respectively. The MIC of chitosan C (Mw 500,000∼1,500,000) was similar to that of chitosan B. The paper sheets coated with chitosan A, B, and C also showed growth inhibition against E. coli. As a typical agricultural product, strawberry was tested for the extension of shelf life by using the chitosan-coated packaging papers. Storage experiments showed that chitosan-coated packaging papers extended the shelf life of strawberry at the chilling temperature of 4℃.
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