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Chitin

Chitin is the second most plentiful biopolymer on Earth. The other bio polymer that is more abundant than chitin, is cellulose. Chitin is a polyacrylamide. Chitin is found in the exoskeletons of crustaceans such as crabs, insects, shrimp, and lobsters. Chitin is also seen in internal structures of invertebrates and found in the cell walls of fungus. Chitin has a derivative named chitosan. Chitosan is used to help with injuries and even has other affects on illnesses.

Medical Uses
Chitin can be used as an anti-inflammatory, as an antimicrobial, as an immune-stimulant, and has anticancer effects. Chitin can carry drugs or even genes. This is because of chitin's bio-compatibility, biodegradability, and its non toxicity. Chitin can be used to attack bacteria, yeast, and fungus. Chitin has been confirmed to be able to help heal not only regular inflammation but also chronic inflammation, caused by chronic issues such as: periodontal disease, hepatitis, arthritis, gastritis and colitis. Cells produce antioxidants to defend themselves from cellular injury. When the cell is unable to continue to produce enough antioxidants to defend themselves oxidation stress begins. Chitin has the ability, when made soluble, to help the cells produce and spread the antioxidants needed. Within recent history, chitin and its derivatives have given themselves quite a lot of interest from various fields such as: biomedical, pharmaceutical, food, and even environmental industries.

Extraction
Crustaceans such as crabs and shrimp produce shell waste that is used to extract chitin. Chitin is found in most shellfish; the chitin just happens to have bonded with calcium carbonate which is what makes the shells. To isolate the chitin, the shells must have the major constituents removed. The proteins are removed by deproteinization and the inorganic calcium carbonate is removed by demineralization. This usually leaves only small amounts of color and fats, but they are usually removed by the two methods above. In case there is still small amounts of color and fats then the method of decolonization is used. Depending on the method used to remove the proteins and the calcium carbonate, scientists can either have both steps done simultaneously, or done in reverse. However, the selection of the shell is the most important step. The shell that is selected will determine how easy it is to isolate the chitin, or the quality of the isolated chitin. The two methods of isolating chitin are chemical and biological.

Chemical Extraction
The chemical deproteinization is difficult, because of the chemical bonds between the chitin and protein. A high percentage of the humans who have an allergy to shellfish, are allergic to the protein. A majority of the minerals found in the shellfish’s shell react the same way in that leave soluble salts behind which can be filtered out of the chitin. Demineralization results vary because of the time the extraction takes, the temperature, the particle size, the concentration of the acid and even the solvent’s ration. The effects of molecular weight and the acetylation degree cannot be evaded no matter what experimental condition is used.

Biological Extraction
In order to extract chitin protease must be used. The proteolytic enzymes are derived from animals, microbial, and plants. The enzymes alcalase, pepsin, papaon, pancreatomy, devolvase, and trypsin remove the proteins from the crustacean’s shell, while being able to reduce the deacetylation and depolymerization. This step can happen before or after the demineralization. Purified enzymes cost more and do not work as well as crude enzymes that can be derived from bacteria. The demineralization is the exacts same process as for deproteinization with the enzymes.

History
In 1811, the director of the Botanical Gardens at the Academy of Science, found in Nancy, France, Henri Braconnot discovered the natural polymer chitin. However, he did not first call his discovery chitin, he called it “fungine”. The name came about because of an essence from mushrooms would not dissolve in sulfuric acid (H2SO4). The name was not changed until 1823, by a different French scientist, Auguste Odier. In 1859, a scientist surname Rouget discovered chitosan. In the 1930’s through the 1940’s there were around fifty patents around the polymer chitin. However, the ability to manufacture the chitin was insufficient. Coupled with the competition for the use of synthetic polymers controled the commercial development of chitin. This lead to the falling popularity of chitin until the 1970’s when it bounced back, because of the inspiration to better exploit shellfish shell waste. As of 2004, there are over 2000 uses for the polymer chitin and its various derivatives that are used worldwide.

Etymology
Chitin is an English word which comes from the French word "chiton". "chiton" came from the Greek word "tunic" which loosely translates to covering.

Chiton is also the name that was given to a marine animal with a protective shell. The Chiton is also called the sea cradle.

Agricultural Uses
Chitin has antiviral, antibacterial, and fungal abilities that has and will be researched for agricultural uses. The chitin is used to defend the plant from these things by: increasing the nutrients and minerals that reach the plant, stopping and/or reducing the spread of disease, and preventing pathogens.

Antiviral
Chitin prevents the plant from contracting a virus by inhabiting the systemic propagation of the viruses and the viroids inside the entire plant. This will increase the plant's hypertensive responses to infection.

Antibacterial
To attack the bacteria, chitin is able to grow within an extensive rage of bacteria. Chitin then prevents the reproduction of the bacteria. Meaning a plant can have a species of bacteria, but the bacteria will not spread making it so the bacteria dies out.

Anti fungal
Chitin's anti-fungal ability is able to spread to multiple species of fungus. The chitin does the same thing that it does to the bacteria. The chitin also prevents the growth of the fungus.

Insecticide
Chitin and one of its derivative chitosan are being created through chemical synthesis. Twenty-four of chitin's derivatives have shown insecticidal activity.