Chitin is a big molecule composed of -beta-1,4-N-acetylglucosamine (GlcNAc) monomers. There are three forms of chitin: , , and chitin. The -form, is mainly obtained from crab and shrimp. Both and chitin/chitosan are commercially available [5]. Sources of chitinIn the book "Chitin" published by Muzarelli in 1977, we can find a complete list of organisms that contain chitin: Fungi, Algae, Cnidaria (jellyfish), Aschelminthes (round worm), Entoprocta, Bryozoa (Moss or lace animals, Phoronida (Horseshoe worms), Brachiopoda(Lamp shells), Echiruda, Annelida (Segmented worms), Mollusca, Arthropoda and Ponogophora [6]). Herring, P.J in 1979 wrote that chitin is the main component of arthropod exoskeletons, tendons, and the linings of their respiratory, excretory, and digestive systems, as well as insects external structure and some fungi. It is also found in the reflective material (iridophores) of both epidermis and eyes of arthropods and cephalopods (phylum: Mollusca) and the epidermal cuticle of the vertebrate Paralipophrys trigloides (fish) is also chitinous [7,8]. The main commercial sources of chitin are the shell wastes of shrimp, lobsters, crabs and krill. There are three forms of chitin: , , and chitin. The -form, is composed of alternating antiparallel polysaccharide strands and is mainly obtained from crab and shrimp. -Chitin is by far the most abundant; it occurs in fungal and yeast cell walls, krill, lobster and crab tendons and shells, shrimp shells, and insect cuticle. The rarer -chitin is composed of parallel strands of polysaccharides, is found in association with proteins in squid pens [9,10] and in the tubes synthesized by pogonophoran and vestimetiferan worms [11,12]. It also occurs in aphrodite chaetae [13] as well as in the lorica, built by some seaweeds or protozoa [14,15,16]. And 2 parallel chains alternating with an antiparallel strand constitute gamma chitin and are found in fungi [15].
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