Chitin beads, chitosan beads, process for preparing these beads, carrier comprising said beads, and process for preparing microsporidian spore

摘要

PCT No. PCT/JP97/03741 Sec. 371 Date Dec. 30, 1998 Sec. 102(e) Date Dec. 30, 1998 PCT Filed Oct. 16, 1997 PCT Pub. No. WO98/51711 PCT Pub. Date Nov. 19, 1998The present invention relates to chitin beads having a uniform and fine particle size and comprising microsporidian spores whose principal cell wall substance is chitin; chitosan beads comprising N-deacetylated chitin and having a uniform fine particle size; methods for preparing these beads; carriers comprising these beads; and a method for preparing microsporidian spores. Microsporidian spores are proliferated in insect's bodies or cultured cells to obtain chitin beads having the uniform and fine particle size and whose cell wall substance is mainly composed of chitin. The chitin as the major cell wall substance is subjected to N-deacetylation to give chitosan beads. When the insect is a larva of domesticated silkworm, microsporidian spores are proliferated by orally or percutaneously inoculating the spores into the 2nd instar domesticated silkworm larvae in a concentration of 5x102 to 5x108 spores/ml, then the proliferated microsporidian spores are isolated from the bodies of the grown 5th instar domesticated silkworm larvae, followed by purifying the resulting spores to give chitin beads having the uniform and fine particle size and chitosan beads can be obtained from the chitin beads in the same manner used above. These beads are used as carriers for the immobilization or encapsulation of a variety of substances such as an antibiotic and a microorganism.