Fish Products and Byproducts Technology

Unit 11 - Chitin and Chitosan

11.2. Characteristics of chitin and chitosan

• Chitin is a white, hard, inelastic, nitrogenous polysaccharide and the major source of surface pollution in coastal areas
• Chitosan is a fiber-like substance derived from chitin
• Chitin is the fiber in shellfish shell such as crab, lobster and shrimp
• The chitin is deproteinized, demineralized and de-acetylated. It is a dietary fiber, meaning that it cannot be digested by the digestive enzymes of a person