Abstract
Natural product extraction is ingenuity that permits the mass manufacturing of specific products in a cost-effective manner. With the aim of obtaining an alternative chitosan supply, the carapace of dead horseshoe crabs seemed feasible. This sparked an investigation of the structural changes and antioxidant capacity of horseshoe crab chitosan (HCH) by γ-irradiation using 60Co source. Chitosan was extracted from the horseshoe crab (Tachypleus gigas; Müller) carapace using heterogeneous chemical N-deacetylation of chitin, followed by the irradiation of HCH using 60Co at a dose-dependent rate of 10 kGy/hour. The average molecular weight was determined by the viscosimetric method. Regarding the chemical properties, the crystal-like structures obtained from γ-irradiated chitosan powders were determined using Fourier transfer infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy and X-ray diffraction (XRD) analyses. The change in chitosan structure was evident with dose-dependent rates between 10 and 20 kGy/hour. The antioxidant properties of horseshoe crab-derived chitosan were evaluated in vitro. The 20 kGy γ-irradiation applied to chitosan changed the structure and reduced the molecular weight, providing sufficient degradation for an increase in antioxidant activity. Our findings indicate that horseshoe crab chitosan can be employed for both scald-wound healing and long-term food preservation due to its buffer-like and radical ion scavenging ability.
Highlights
Chitin is the second most abundant biopolymer after cellulose, made of polysaccharides, and can be found in the cell wall of eukaryotes
The degree of horseshoe crab chitosan deacetylation pertains to the quantity of glucosamine within the biopolymer chains during the transition of chitosan from chitin
The antioxidant activity of horseshoe crab chitosan was compared for irradiated and non-irradiated forms when applied against antioxidizing agents, such as DPPH, superoxide anions, ferrous ions, and diethyldithiocarbamate
Summary
Chitin is the second most abundant biopolymer after cellulose, made of polysaccharides, and can be found in the cell wall of eukaryotes (i.e., fungi, yeast, protists, and diatoms). With the focus on this aspect, chitosan preparations are outlined considering their efficacy and safety, when utilized as preservatives in the food industry. In this regard, chitosan seems effective for inhibiting microbial growth, promoting its use as a food preservative [13]. We are aware of the use of horseshoe crab chitosan as a bio-polymer, which has never been applied for the food industry [13]. This form of chitosan has never been extracted, with the exception of our own findings [12]. We evaluated the chitosan in terms of its molecular weight and determined its potential effect with regards to reducing the oxidative stress by defending the biotic or abiotic stress components
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