Applications of Chitin in Medical, Environmental, and Agricultural Industries

Abstract

Chitin is a universal biopolymer that is found in microbes, plants, fungi, the exoskeleton of insects, various species of algae, and bottom-feeding crustaceans. This (1–4)-linked N-acetyl-ß-D-glucosamine polysaccharide can be readily processed with simple chemical procedures without putting a species at risk. Chitin has garnered interest as an alternative substance that can be used in the medical, environmental, and agricultural sectors. Indeed, chitin′s unique nature of biocompatibility, being environmentally safe, and having innate water-solubility allows the polymer to be used in a wide range of applications. In this review, we discuss the possible applications of chitin in the medical, environmental, and agricultural sectors through an extensive search of the latest literature. Moreover, the following review summarizes and explores the new and current studies surrounding the practical uses of chitin to solve issues that are commonly induced by various chemicals which are invasive to the surrounding environment and species co-existing in that area.

Technoeconomic Assessment of Biopolymer Production from Crustacean Waste with the UK as a Case Study

“…The shells of crustaceans, insect exoskeletons, and the cell walls of several fungi, plants, and bacteria are reported to contain the biopolymer chitin [1,2]. Chitin is recognized as the second most abundant polysaccharide in nature, after cellulose [1,2].…”

“…The shells of crustaceans, insect exoskeletons, and the cell walls of several fungi, plants, and bacteria are reported to contain the biopolymer chitin [1,2]. Chitin is recognized as the second most abundant polysaccharide in nature, after cellulose [1,2]. It is composed of repeating β-(1→4) linked 2-acetamido-2-deoxy-D-glucopyranose monomers, making it structurally similar to cellulose [3].…”

“…Although chitin may be recovered from multiple sources, chitin sourced from marine sources (i.e., crustaceans) have been reported to be superior to chitin sourced from land sources (i.e., insects) [1]. This is because marine-sourced chitins are characterized by minor quality control issues and low concentrations of contaminants/toxins, with leads to negligible inflammatory responses and high metabolic compatibility [1]. Crustacean waste also contains valuable fractions such as salts of mainly calcium carbonate, astaxanthin, proteins, and lipid residues [10].…”

Chitin and Chitosan: Prospective Biomedical Applications in Drug Delivery, Cancer Treatment, and Wound Healing

“…Chitin is a polysaccharide composed of crystallized N-Acetyl D-glucosamine monomers and 1–4 glycosidic bonds [ 1 , 2 ]. This structural polymer is highly abundant in the shells of marine crustaceans, cell walls of various organisms such as fungi, coralline algae, green and brown algae, and bacteria, as well as the exoskeleton of crustaceans, molluscs, and insects ( Figure 1 ) [ 3 , 4 , 5 , 6 , 7 , 8 , 9 ]. In 2014, the first evidence of chitin inside the cell walls of the coralline algae Clathromorphum compactum was observed, and chitin was found to play an important role in the calcification process of this marine species [ 4 ].…”

Mercaptolated chitosan/methacrylate gelatin composite hydrogel for potential wound healing applications

“…Chitin, as the second most abundant biopolymer after cellulose, has been widely studied for diverse applications in different sectors such as including food, environment, and biomedical sectors [1,2]. In biomaterials engineering, its derivative chitosan has been fabricated into injectable hydrogels, sponges and scaffolds, microbeads, and hydrogels [3].…”