Production of chitin and chitosan from crustacean waste and their use as a food processing aid

• Main Author: Gagné, Nellie
• Other Authors: Simpson, Benjamin K. (advisor)
• Format: Thesis
• Language: English
• Published: McGill University 1993
• Subjects: Fishery processing industries > By-products; Shrimp industry > By-products; Chitin; Chitosan; St. Louis; Pandalus borealis
• Online Access: http://digitool.Library.McGill.CA:80/R/?func=dbin-jump-full&object_id=26458

Chitin is a polysaccharide found in abundance in the shell of crustaceans. In this study, chitin was first extracted from shrimp waste material previously demineralized, using proteolytic enzymes, i.e., chymotrypsin and papain. The conditions used for the deproteinization were optimized with respect to 3 factors, viz., pH, temperature, and enzyme to waste (E/W) ratio, using response surface methodology (RSM). In a second part of the study, chitosan was prepared from chitin by partial deacetylation and its capacity to preserve whole and headless fresh shrimps was evaluated. The shrimps (Pandalus borealis) were dipped in chitosan (1 and 2% w:v), and stored on ice. Chemical indicators such as pH, drip loss, total volatile bases (TVB), nucleotide degradation, and sensory indicators of appearance (including melanosis) and odor, as well as total microbial counts were monitored during 20 days. As a third and final part, the antimicrobial properties of chitosan were evaluated using several microorganisms implicated in food spoilage and/or food poisoning outbreaks, especially those associated with fish and seafood products. Chitosan prepared from crab offal and used in the previous study on shrimp preservation was compared with commercially available chitosan from Sigma Chemical Co. (St-Louis, MO). (Abstract shortened by UMI.)