Comparative study on extraction and characterization of chitin and chitosan from prawn and crab species collected from local water bodies of Bhopal

Chitin is the main component in the exoskeleton of all Prawn and Crab species and it a biopolymer having the structure almost identical as that of cellulose. The current study focuses on the extraction and characterization of Chitin and chitosan from the exoskeleton of local Prawn and Crab species by sequence of chemical processes involving demineralization, deproteinization and deacetylation. Crustacean Chitin and chitosan having more biological value such as physiological, non-toxicity, bio-digestibility, compatibility, absorption etc. these biological value of chitosan depend on the quality parameters which is related to source of raw material. The obtained chitin was transformed into most useful soluble chitosan. The results obtained showed there is quite difference in the appearance (demineralization product), weight of chitin, percentage of chitin, product appearance and solubility of studied Prawn and crab species