Extraction of Chitosan from Prawn Shell Wastes and Examination of its Viable Commercial Applications

Chitin is the second most abundant natural polysaccharide after cellulose and is present in the crustacean exoskeleton, insects and fungi. The shell fish industry generates a huge amount of shell waste per processing which usually cause environmental nuisance. Alternatively this waste can be utilized as an economic source of chitin and its derivative chitosan. Chitin and chitosan are considerably versatile and promising biomaterials. Chitosan, the deacetylated chitin derivative, is a more useful and interesting bioactive polymer. Despite its biodegradability, it can be chemically modified to produce derivatives which have varied applications in biomedical field. These derivatives are easy to produce and can be made commercially available easily. This study aims at the procedures of chitosan extraction from prawn shells and the use of this chitosan in successfully carrying out various applications in laboratory.