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What
is CHITIN CHITOSAN?
1. Chitin/Chitosan has chemical structures
very similar to that of cellulose. such
as cotton ami rayon. (Fig. 1)
2. Chitin is the natural polysaccharide
biologically produced by living creatures
on the earth in huge quantities. Its production
is next to the cellulose, which is biologically
produced by plant. It is estimated that
total production of Chitin on the earth
annually is about i to 100 billion ton.
Chitin/Chitosan is white and porous polysaccharide
that forms a base for the hard shell of
crustaceans like crabs, lobsters and squids.
It is also found in (1) insects like dragonflies.
grasshoppers and beetles. (2) rnushrooms
like shiitake and enokidake and (3) cell
wall of fungi.
3. It is also estimated that about
150 thousand ton of Chitin is available
for commercial use annually. However. only
a few thousand ton is actually used in the
world.
4. So long as Chitin is a natural
substance included in the food such as crab,
shrimp, mushroorn etc, it is quite a safe
material. Its safety has been verified scientifically
through many tests. With the following properties
in mind, its applications are widely spread.
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Fig.
1 Chemical Structure |
