Abstract
Chitosan (CS) was prepared from Artemia urmiana cyst shells using the same chemical process as described for the other crustacean species, with minor adjustments in the treatment conditions. The influence of modifications of the CS production process on the physiochemical and functional properties of the CS obtained was examined. The study results indicate that Artemia urmiana cyst shells are a rich source of chitin as 29.3-34.5% of the shell’s dry weight consisted of this material. Compared to crab CS (selected as an example of CS from a different crustacean source) Artemia CS exhibited a medium molecular weight (4.5-5.7 ×105 Da), lower degree of deacetylation (67-74%) and lower viscosity (29-91 centiposes). The physicochemical characteristics (e.g., ash, nitrogen and molecular weight) and functional properties (e.g., water binding capacity and antibacterial activity) of the prepared Artemia CSs were enhanced, compared to control and commercial samples, by varying the processing step sequence.
Highlights
Chitosan (CS) and its derivatives are examples of value-added materials. They are produced from chitin, which is a natural carbohydrate polymer found in the skeleton of crustaceans, such as crab, shrimp and lobster, as well as in the exoskeleton of marine zooplankton spp., including coral and jellyfishes
The outer alveolar layer, a hard lipoproteinous layer, consists of lipoproteins impregnated with chitin and haematin, which serve as a protection layer for the embryo against mechanical disruption and UV radiation [4]
Urmia Lake is one of the biggest natural Artemia habitats in the world and it appears to be the only reservoir of the bisexual Old World Artemia urmiana [5]
Summary
Chitosan (CS) and its derivatives are examples of value-added materials. They are produced from chitin, which is a natural carbohydrate polymer found in the skeleton of crustaceans, such as crab, shrimp and lobster, as well as in the exoskeleton of marine zooplankton spp., including coral and jellyfishes. The objectives of the present study were to prepare chitosan from Artemia cyst shells and to evaluate the various changes caused by the sequential preparation processes Steps) used to prepare CS this source and to determine whether such modifications have any effect on yield, physicochemical (ash, moisture, nitrogen contents, molecular weight, viscosity, degree of deacetylation and color) and functional (water binding capacity, fat binding capacity and antibacterial activity) properties of the resulting CSs. Comparisons have been made between CS obtained from the Artemia and commercial CS samples (Sigma Chemical Co., St Louis, MO, USA).
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