Pangolins received a lot of attention in the current corona crisis. But what kind of animals are these pangolins, which look like a pine cone when rolled up? And why do they need chitin in their special diet? Answers to those questions and more facts in this article.

Just like humans, plants have an immune system that they use to fend off pathogens and pests. Chitosan oligosaccharides have the ability to improve plant resistance to pests and diseases by activating the plant's immune system. The effectiveness depends on the structure of the chitosan oligomers, as researchers from Münster found in a study.

The new corona virus SARS-CoV-2 has spread globally, originating from China since the beginning of the year. The pathogen causes the lung disease Covid-19 and has been classified as a pandemic since March 11, 2020. Researchers around the world are working on the development of effective vaccinations and drugs. A current study examined the antiviral effectiveness of HTCC (N- (2-hydroxypropyl) -3-trimethylammonium chitosan chloride) in vitro and ex vivo against the new coronavirus SARS-CoV-2 and MERS-CoV.

Adjuvants in vaccines are potent enhancers, which ensure that even small amounts of pathogens induce a permanent immune response. They are particularly necessary for inactivated vaccines and vaccines with antigen subunits. Several studies investigated chitosan as an adjuvant or antigen delivery system in various formulations (gels, aqueous dispersion, micro- and nanoparticles).