Optimization of the demineralization process for the extraction of chitin from Omani Portunidae segnis

• Published in: Biochemistry and biophysics reports Vol. 23; p. 100779
• Main Authors: Al Shaqsi, Noura Hamed Khalifa, Al Hoqani, Horiya Ali Said, Hossain, Mohammad Amzad, Al Sibani, Mohammed Abdullah
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Elsevier B.V 01.09.2020; Elsevier
• Subjects: Calcium and phosphorus; Chemical treatment; Chitin; ICP-OES; P. segnis shell Waste; Polysaccharide; P. segnis shell Waste; Calcium and phosphorus; Chitin; Chemical treatment; Polysaccharide; ICP-OES
• ISSN: 2405-5808; 2405-5808
• DOI: 10.1016/j.bbrep.2020.100779

Chitin is an organic polymer and it is the most frequent marine natural polysaccharide after cellulose. The main natural sources of chitin are exoskeletons of insects, mollusks, the cell walls of certain fungi and crustaceans such as crabs, shrimps and lobsters. The waste of these marine exoskeletons are pollutant for the environment, but these waste raw materials could be useful for production of commercial products like chitin. Chitin is an important raw material used for water treatment, agricultural, biomedical, biotechnological purposes, food and paper industry and cosmetics. Based on the variety of importance, the present targets of this study are to optimize the demineralization process for the removal of calcium and phosphate contents from the waste of Portunidae segnis (P. segnis) by using acid at ambient temperature and to characterize the isolated demineralized sample as well as the percentage of remaining calcium and phosphorus contents by using Inductively Coupled Plasma-Optical Emission Spectrometry (ICP-OES). The prepared waste carbs coarse powder samples of P. segnis were demineralized with seven different concentrations of hydrochloric acid at ambient temperature for 1 h. All the demineralization samples by the different concentrations were analyzed by using sensitive ICP-OES. The results based on ICP-OES showed that among the seven different concentrations used in the demineralization process for the isolation of chitin, the best was 2 M of HCl concentration for the production of chitin. The results also showed that the optimized concentration 2 M HCl gave the minimum concentration of calcium and phosphorus compared to other concentrations applied in this experiment. In conclusion, the optimized concentration for demineralization process could be used commercially for the isolation or commercial production of chitin for agricultural, biomedical and biotechnological purposes. Chitin and minerals calcium and phosphorus from the carb waste shell of Portunidae segnis. [Display omitted] •Chitin is an organic polymer widely used in the industry, especially in biomedical and agricultural fields.•To optimize the demineralization process as the first step in isolation of chitin from P. segnis waste.•To identify the best method of the demineralization process as the first step of the isolation of chitin.•To identify the demineralized waste by ICP-OES spectrometry and compare with commercial product.•It could be used in the medicine, pharmaceutical, and biotechnology sectors.