Optimizing Extraction of Proteins from Carcinus Maenus After Removal of Low‐Molecular Weight Chitins

Abstract

Crab shells as waste products are presently of economic interest only for the value of the chitin polymer present in their shells, which may be used to formulate foods or pharmaceutical products. Other materials in the crab shells, including protein, are discarded as waste. Crab shells have a large protein content A key question to examine is if there are bioactive proteins and/or peptides that have health benefits which could be recovered and utilized as a value added fraction from the waste stream. For example proteins isolated from crab shells have been found to contain antimicrobial and moderate antitumor agents (Sawssen, 2015.)In this work, the procedures used for removal of low molecular weight (LMW) chitin were followed (Ye, 2016). After removal of LMW chitin, the acetic acid extraction of proteins from crab shells was optimized using 50%, 25% and 12% acetic acid. One of the challenges associated with the extraction of proteins from crab shells is the concomitant demineralization of the shells which results in a high calcium carbonate solution in solution. In this project, a variety of different methods for separating the protein from the acidic solution and the calcium carbonate were utilized including dialysis, polyethylene glycol precipitation strategies.These findings will be of value to the community of researchers investigating either bioactive materials in the shells of marine organisms.