The antibacterial activity of chitosan was investigated by assessing the mortality rates of Escherichia coli and Staphylococcus aureus based on the extent of damaged or missing cell walls and the degree of leakage of enzymes and nucleotides from different cellular locations. Chitosan was found to react with both the cell wall and the cell membrane, but not simultaneously, indicating that the inactivation of E coli by chitosan occurs via a two-step sequential mechanism: an initial separation of the cell wall from its cell membrane, followed by destruction of the cell membrane. The similarity between the antibacterial profiles And patterns of chitosan and those of two control substances, polymyxin and EDTA, verified this mechanism. The antibacterial activity of chitosan could be altered by blocking the amino functionality through coupling of the chitosan to active agarose derivatives. These results verify the status of chitosan as a natural bactericide. (c) 2007 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.