Source-dependent variations in chitin: a comparative study on Antarctic krill, white shrimp and crayfish

Chitin, the second most abundant biopolymer in nature after cellulose, has a diverse array of applications in the pharmaceutical, medical, agricultural, textile, cosmetic, wastewater treatment, and food industries. This versatility is attributed to its essential functional properties, including biod...

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Main Authors: Chenyi Yang, Xiaoyun Chen, Zuman Chen, Yadong Zhao, Ruizhi Yang, Yu Xia, Qinyi Zeng, Yanhong He, Hao Lan
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Frontiers Media S.A. 2025-05-01
Series:Frontiers in Marine Science
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Online Access:https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fmars.2025.1592331/full
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author Chenyi Yang
Xiaoyun Chen
Zuman Chen
Yadong Zhao
Ruizhi Yang
Yu Xia
Qinyi Zeng
Yanhong He
Hao Lan
author_facet Chenyi Yang
Xiaoyun Chen
Zuman Chen
Yadong Zhao
Ruizhi Yang
Yu Xia
Qinyi Zeng
Yanhong He
Hao Lan
author_sort Chenyi Yang
collection DOAJ
description Chitin, the second most abundant biopolymer in nature after cellulose, has a diverse array of applications in the pharmaceutical, medical, agricultural, textile, cosmetic, wastewater treatment, and food industries. This versatility is attributed to its essential functional properties, including biodegradability, biocompatibility, and non-toxicity. The primary source of commercial chitin is the shells of crustaceans. However, the quantity and quality of chitin extracted from various crustacean shells have not yet been systematically reported or compared. In this study, we compared the composition of three types of crustacean shells: Antarctic krill (AK), White shrimp (WS), and Crayfish (CF). We employed a consistent sequence of deproteinization, decalcification, and bleaching to extract chitin from these shells. The extracted chitin was characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD), Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR), thermogravimetric analysis, and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). Our findings indicated that the chitin content in Antarctic krill reached 24.06%, significantly exceeding that of the other two crustaceans. Notably, scanning electron microscopy (SEM) characterization confirmed that chitin samples from different biological sources exhibit significant structural heterogeneity. This study, through multidimensional morphological analysis, provides critical experimental evidence for both the targeted synthesis of chitin-based functional materials and the high-value-added conversion of crustacean-derived by-products.
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publisher Frontiers Media S.A.
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series Frontiers in Marine Science
spelling doaj-art-d59c780bfca04121af5ed23a85f7f4312025-08-20T03:11:03ZengFrontiers Media S.A.Frontiers in Marine Science2296-77452025-05-011210.3389/fmars.2025.15923311592331Source-dependent variations in chitin: a comparative study on Antarctic krill, white shrimp and crayfishChenyi Yang0Xiaoyun Chen1Zuman Chen2Yadong Zhao3Ruizhi Yang4Yu Xia5Qinyi Zeng6Yanhong He7Hao Lan8School of Food and Science, Zhejiang Pharmaceutical University, Ningbo, ChinaSchool of Food and Pharmacy, Zhejiang Ocean University, Zhoushan, ChinaSchool of Food and Science, Zhejiang Pharmaceutical University, Ningbo, ChinaSchool of Food and Pharmacy, Zhejiang Ocean University, Zhoushan, ChinaSchool of Food and Pharmacy, Zhejiang Ocean University, Zhoushan, ChinaZhoushan Yueyang Food Co., Ltd., Zhoushan, Zhejiang, ChinaZhejiang Xinjiahe Biotechnology Co., Ltd., Wenzhou, Zhejiang, ChinaAquatic Products Processing Factory of China National Zhoushan Marine Fisheries Company, Zhoushan, ChinaSchool of Food and Science, Zhejiang Pharmaceutical University, Ningbo, ChinaChitin, the second most abundant biopolymer in nature after cellulose, has a diverse array of applications in the pharmaceutical, medical, agricultural, textile, cosmetic, wastewater treatment, and food industries. This versatility is attributed to its essential functional properties, including biodegradability, biocompatibility, and non-toxicity. The primary source of commercial chitin is the shells of crustaceans. However, the quantity and quality of chitin extracted from various crustacean shells have not yet been systematically reported or compared. In this study, we compared the composition of three types of crustacean shells: Antarctic krill (AK), White shrimp (WS), and Crayfish (CF). We employed a consistent sequence of deproteinization, decalcification, and bleaching to extract chitin from these shells. The extracted chitin was characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD), Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR), thermogravimetric analysis, and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). Our findings indicated that the chitin content in Antarctic krill reached 24.06%, significantly exceeding that of the other two crustaceans. Notably, scanning electron microscopy (SEM) characterization confirmed that chitin samples from different biological sources exhibit significant structural heterogeneity. This study, through multidimensional morphological analysis, provides critical experimental evidence for both the targeted synthesis of chitin-based functional materials and the high-value-added conversion of crustacean-derived by-products.https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fmars.2025.1592331/fullchitinAntarctic krillwhite shrimpcrayfishstructure
spellingShingle Chenyi Yang
Xiaoyun Chen
Zuman Chen
Yadong Zhao
Ruizhi Yang
Yu Xia
Qinyi Zeng
Yanhong He
Hao Lan
Source-dependent variations in chitin: a comparative study on Antarctic krill, white shrimp and crayfish
Frontiers in Marine Science
chitin
Antarctic krill
white shrimp
crayfish
structure
title Source-dependent variations in chitin: a comparative study on Antarctic krill, white shrimp and crayfish
title_full Source-dependent variations in chitin: a comparative study on Antarctic krill, white shrimp and crayfish
title_fullStr Source-dependent variations in chitin: a comparative study on Antarctic krill, white shrimp and crayfish
title_full_unstemmed Source-dependent variations in chitin: a comparative study on Antarctic krill, white shrimp and crayfish
title_short Source-dependent variations in chitin: a comparative study on Antarctic krill, white shrimp and crayfish
title_sort source dependent variations in chitin a comparative study on antarctic krill white shrimp and crayfish
topic chitin
Antarctic krill
white shrimp
crayfish
structure
url https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fmars.2025.1592331/full
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