SCREENING OF SOME OPERATING PARAMETERS FOR PARTIAL CHITIN EXTRACTION FROM SHRIMP SHELLS BY THE FERMENTATION METHOD

Chitin is a linear homopolymer of Nacetylglucosamine (GlcNAc) being linked by β-1, 4 glycosidic bonds. It is mainly found in the exoskeletons of insects and crustaceans. Several companies are producing chitin product on a commercial scale. The source of this bioproduct is the fishing industry, which generates large amounts of marine arthropods waste. One of the methods used for chitin extraction from crustaceans’ exoskeleton is the fermentation process. In this work, statistical screening of four operating parameters (incubation period, inoculum density, initial concentration of yoghurt whey and initial concentration of urea) for demineralization of red shrimp (Aristeus antennatus (Risso1816)) shells by Lactobacillus delbrueckii subsp. Bulgaricus and Streptococcus thermophilus was carried out using fractional factorial design. The results of this study indicate important effects of initial concentration of whey, incubation period and inoculum density on the partial extraction of chitin and the negative influence of initial concentration of urea on the same response. The results showed the potential of using yoghurt whey for partial chitin extraction. This inexpensive carbohydrate-rich substrate might, in the future, lead the way towards possible application in industrial-level chitin production process.