Abstract
It was found that regenerated chitin obtained by a concentrated alkali treatment at a low temperature is water soluble. Chitin with 38% deacetylation, obtained by treatment with 15 wt.% NaOH at 10°C for four days, showed very good solubility in water at room temperature; whereas, eight days at 3°C were needed to prepare soluble chitin with 25% deacetylation. For this low-temperature deacetylation, two conditions were necessary to make α-chitin water soluble; first, an extended alkali treatment (e.g., at least four days in 15% alkali solution at 3°C) was required; and second, the degree of deacetylation required was more than 25%. The structural difference in regenerated chitin samples prepared at 3 and 25°C with the same degree of deacetylation (30%) were examined by X-ray diffraction and deamination analyses suggesting that the distribution of N-acetyl groups in the former chitin molecule was more random than those in the latter. This conclusion was supported by enzymatic analyses with chitinase or lysozyme.
Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a callDisclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.
