The Open Biomaterials Journal

2011, 3 : 1-3
Published online 2011 January 31. DOI: 10.2174/1876502501103010001
Publisher ID: TOBIOMTJ-3-1

RESEARCH ARTICLE
 Improved Chitin and Chitosan Production from Black Tiger Shrimp Shells Using Salicylic Acid Pretreatment

Nguyen Van Toan, *
1School of Biotechnology, International University, Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam Vietnam National University, Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam

*Address correspondence to this author at the School of Biotechnology, International University, Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam; Fax: +84-83-7244271; E-mail: nvtoan@hcmiu.edu.vn

ABSTRACT

Shrimp chitin and chitosan with improved characteristics were isolated from black tiger shrimp waste pretreated with 0.04 M Salicylic acid for ten hours. The pretreated shrimp shells could be efficiently demineralized and deproteinized at ambient temperature using 0.680 M HCl and 0.620 M NaOH, respectively. The duration of the treatments was 8 hours, the ash and protein residues in the final chitosan were about 0.48% and 0.51% respectively; the viscosity was 4800 cps; the solubility was up to 98%. In comparison with treatment at ambient temperature (30oC) without pretreatment, the chemical consumption, the duration of the treatment, ash and protein residues was reduced to 75-20%, whereas viscosity and absence of insolubles improved by a factor of 2.5.

Keywords:

Chitin, chitosan, membrane, pretreated, Salicylic acid, wound healing management.