Abstract

MARTINEZ-ROBINSON, K et al. Physicochemical study of chitin and chitosan obtained from California brown shrimp (Farfantepenaeus californiensis) exoskeleton. Biotecnia [online]. 2022, vol.24, n.2, pp.28-35.  Epub May 19, 2023. ISSN 1665-1456.  https://doi.org/10.18633/biotecnia.v24i2.1616.

This work describes the physicochemical study of chitin and chitosan isolated from the brown shrimp exo-skeleton (Farfantepenaeus californiensis), which is collected from the Gulf of California. A consecutive treatment carried out the chitin isolation process, including demineralization and deproteinization. On the other hand, the preparation of chitosan was through alkaline hydrolysis, and the product purified by using membrane filter series to homogenize the macromolecular chains size. According to the methodology, the chitin and chitosan yield was around 33 % and 23 % (dry weight), respectively. The materials characterization was by FTIR spectroscopy and thermogravimetric analysis. In addition, the analysis of chitosan samples were by proximal test, viscometric -average molecular weight, and deacetylation degree. The products exhibited chemical structure and physicochemical properties comparable to biopolymers isolated from similar sources reported in the literature. Chitosan showed a 15.87 % degree of acetylation (by 1H-NMR analysis) and a Mv=170kDa. The results show the chitinous waste from the Sea of Cortez coast, as a promising chitosan source for several applications in the region.

Keywords : biopolymers; crustacean waste; isolation of chitin; viscosity-average molecular weight; degree of acetylation.