Chitin and Chitinases: Biomedical and Environmental Applications of Chitin and Its Derivatives - Chitin and Chitinases: Biomedical and Environmental Applications of Chitin and Its Derivatives - Open Access Pub

Disposal of chitin wastes from crustacean shell can cause environmental and health hazards. Chitin is a well known abundant natural polymer extracted after deproteinization and demineralization of the shell wastes of shrimp, crab, lobster, and krill. Extraction of chitin and its derivatives from waste material is one of the alternative ways to turn the waste into useful products. Chitinases are enzymes that degrade chitin. Chitinases contribute to the generation of carbon and nitrogen in the ecosystem. Chitin and chitinolytic enzymes are gaining importance for their biotechnological applications. The presence of surface charge and multiple functional groups make chitin as a beneficial natural polymer. Due to the reactive functional groups chitin can be used for the preparation of a spectrum of chitin derivatives such as chitosan, alkyl chitin, sulfated chitin, dibutyryl chitin and carboxymethyl chitin for specific applications in different areas. The present review is aimed to summarize the efficacy of the chitinases on the chitin and its derivatives and their diverse applications in biomedical and environmental field. Further this review also discusses the synthesis of various chitin derivatives in detail and brings out the importance of chitin and its derivatives in biomedical and environmental applications. DOI10.14302/issn.2690-4829.jen-18-2043 Chitin is a natural polymer, first discovered in mushrooms by French Professor, Henrni Braconnot, in 1811. Chitin is the second most abundant biopolymer next to cellulose with an annual production of 1010 to 1011 tons1 . In many respects, chitin is similar to cellulose and is considered to be a derivative of cellulose where the C2 hydroxyl groups were replaced by acetamido residues1,2 In nature, chitin is found as crystalline microfibrils which form the structural components of many organisms. Chitin serves as a structural and functional material wherever reinforcement and strength are required in a number of living organisms2 . The commercial value of chitin has dramatically increased recently due to the beneficial properties of its soluble derivatives, which are suitable for a wide variety of industrial applications in biotechnology, agriculture, food processing, cosmetics, veterinary, medicine, dentistry, environment protection, and paper or textile production3 . Chitin is one of the ubiquitous polymers found in many organisms (Table 1) from cell walls of fungi and algae to cuticle of insect’s, shells of mollusks (endoskeleton of cephalopods) and crustaceans4. Chitin is widely distributed in the