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Pilot-scale chitin extraction from shrimp shell waste by deproteination and decalcification with bacterial enrichment cultures

  • Environmental biotechnology
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Abstract

Extraction of chitin from mechanically pre-purified shrimp shells can be achieved by successive NaOH/HCl treatment, protease/HCl treatment or by environmentally friendly fermentation with proteolytic/lactic acid bacteria (LAB). For the last mentioned alternative, scale-up of shrimp shell chitin purification was investigated in 0.25 L (F1), 10 L (F2), and 300 L (F3) fermenters using an anaerobic, chitinase-deficient, proteolytic enrichment culture from ground meat for deproteination and a mixed culture of LAB from bio-yoghurt for decalcification. Protein removal in F1, F2, and F3 proceeded in parallel within 40 h at an efficiency of 89–91 %. Between 85 and 90 % of the calcit was removed from the shells by LAB in another 40 h in F1, F2, and F3. After deproteination of shrimp shells in F3, spent fermentation liquor was re-used for a next batch of 30-kg shrimp shells in F4 (300 L) which eliminated 85.5 % protein. The purity of the resulting chitin was comparable in F1, F2, F3, and F4. Viscosities of chitosan, obtained after chitin deacetylation and of chitin, prepared biologically or chemically in the laboratory, were much higher than those of commercially available chitin and chitosan.

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Acknowledgments

We are thankful to Urtel, Friedrichskoog, North Sea, Germany, for providing shrimp shell waste. Late Prof. Dr. Müller von der Hägen and Dr. H. Thomsen, SeeLab Wesselburen, and GSR Büsum are acknowledged for cooperation and support in pre-treatment of shrimp shells. GSR Büsum is gratefully acknowledged for allowing us to use their equipment and factory premises to carry out pilot-scale experiments.

Conflict of interest

The authors declare that they have no competing interests.

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Author notes

  1. Andrea Freiberg

    Present address: PaxVax Inc, Oberriedstrasse 68, 3174, Thörishaus, Switzerland

  2. Claudia Gallert

    Present address: Faculty of Technology, Department of Microbiology/Biotechnology, Hochschule Emden-Leer, Constantiaplatz 4, 26732, Emden, Germany

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Institute of Biology for Engineers and Biotechnology of Wastewater Treatment, Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT), Am Fasanengarten, 76131, Karlsruhe, Germany

    Mini Bajaj, Andrea Freiberg, Josef Winter, Youmei Xu & Claudia Gallert

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  1. Mini Bajaj
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  2. Andrea Freiberg
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  5. Claudia Gallert
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Correspondence to Mini Bajaj.

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Bajaj, M., Freiberg, A., Winter, J. et al. Pilot-scale chitin extraction from shrimp shell waste by deproteination and decalcification with bacterial enrichment cultures. Appl Microbiol Biotechnol 99, 9835–9846 (2015). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00253-015-6841-5

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00253-015-6841-5

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