Extraction of Chitin-Chitosan component in exoskeleton of blue swimming crab (Portunus segnis Furskal, 1775), Bandar Abbas beach, Persian Gulf

Abstract

Marine water crabs (P. segnis) was used to obtain Chitin-Chitosan. Specimen captured as by-cache and monthly from Bandar Abbas beach (of khordad to esfand 1391). Exoskeleton of crabs divided to carapace, cephalotorex, claw and walking legs. Chitin-Chitosan was extracted with standardized chemical method. Chitosan was with demineralization, deproteinization, decoloration(Chitin) and deacetylation(Chitosan). Chitin and Chitosan yield of crab shell was determined %16/30 and %12/86 respectively. According to analysis, there were significant (p<0.05) changes between average of length and width of carapace and weight crabs. The population size of crabs captured was biggest in autumn season, also the highest content of Chitin-Chitosan were extract of this period. The result of the present investigation pave the way and provide the baseline information for the extraction Chitin-Chitosan from marine discard apart from opening the avenue of research to the future researchers.