Abstract
Traditionally, chitin is extracted from crustacean shells using chemical methods involving the use of strong acids and alkali. In this study, chitin was extracted from the shrimp shell waste using microbes isolated from the fermented milk and bread. The chitin yield from the shells of Fenneropenaeus semisulcatus was 14.054% and 16.062%, respectively, for shell:bacterial broth ratios of 1:15 and 1:25; whereas, the yield of chitin from the shells of Fenneropenaeus indicus was 14.93% and 13.871%, respectively, at 1:15 and 1:25 broth ratios. The Fourier transform infrared spectra obtained from the chitin samples showed characteristic chitin peaks in both shell to bacterial broth ratio. The X-ray diffraction analysis revealed peaks between 10-15 and 25-30 degrees in the chitin recovered from both species, though some variations between species were observed. In conclusion, results of the present study indicate that application of microorganisms for the extraction of chitin from the shrimp shell waste could be an alternative for the traditional chemical methods.