Production and Characterization of Chitosan extracted from crab shell as a clarifying agent for fruit juices

Abstract

Background and aim: The seafood industry generates enormous amounts of waste that negatively affect the environment. Seafood waste often contains chitosan, which can be converted to value-added and industrially significant products. The present study aimed to produce and characterize chitosan from crab shells as a clarifying agent in the food industry.

Methods: Different varieties of crab shells belonging to Portunus pelagicus (female), Portunus sanguinolentus, Portunus pelagicus (male), and Charybdis cruciata were collected. Chitosan was extracted chemically, and its structural and physicochemical characterization was studied. Its use in fruit juice clarification was evaluated.

Results: Based on the yield and other physicochemical properties, Portunus sanguinolentus have been chosen for further studies. The antimicrobial activity of chitosan powder was checked against various food-borne microbes. It was observed to be effective against Staphylococcus aureus, E. coli, Klebsiella sp., Shigella sp., and Salmonella sp. Chitosan was used as a clarifying agent for muskmelon and watermelon juice and showed potent clarification ability.

Conclusion: It was proved that crab shell chitosan could be used as a natural alternative to a synthetic food additive as a clarifying agent in the food industries.