Extraction of chitin and chitosan from different insect species and evaluation of their antimicrobial effect

Abstract

Chitosan is the second most abundant natural polymer after cellulose. It is a positively charged amino-polysaccharide biodegradable to normal body components, safe and can bind to mammalian and microbial cells aggressively. It has many applications to the fields of medicine, food, pharmaceuticals and chemicals, so the main idea was to convert million tons of waste products (of dead insects) to useful and pharmaceutical products. In recent years chitin and chitosan had an important role as antimicrobial effect and can be used instead of many antibiotics with no resistance.