MP-Chitosan protects Caco-2 cells from toxic gliadin peptides

Caco-2 human intestinal cell line was exposed, both separately and simultaneously, to gliadin pepsin-tryptic digest and MP-chitosan. MP-Chitosan was able to depress the gliadin toxicity, and to lower caspase-3 activation and apoptosis, nitric oxide production, and lactate dehydrogenase release by the cells, whilst improving the cell viability. The interaction between MP-chitosan and mannose-receptor might account for some of these effects.