THE ANTIMICROBIAL POTENTIAL OF CHITIN AND CHITOSAN FROM CRAB AND PRAWN SHELL

ABSTRACT

This experiment was done to assess the antimicrobial potential of chitin and chitosan extracted from crab and prawn shell using zone of inhibition technique. It was conducted at the University of Benin, Nigeria. chitin and chitosan were extracted from crab and prawn shells collected from multiple locations. The extraction process involved demineralization, deproteinization, and deacetylation and different concentrations (0.1%, 0.075%, and 0.05%) of chitin and chitosan were prepared for experimentation. Anti-microbial assays were conducted using three pathogens (Escherichia coli, Staphylococcus aureus and Pseudomonas sp), and the zone of inhibition technique was employed to assess their antimicrobial properties. The experiment revealed varying antimicrobial effectiveness depending on the microorganism and the source of extraction (prawn or crab). The study's results indicate that chitin extracted from prawn exhibited limited inhibitory effects on Escherichia coli and Pseudomonas sp, while showing little to no effect on Staphylococcus aureus. Chitin from crab, however, demonstrated inhibitory effects on all three microorganisms. Meanwhile, chitosan from both prawn and crab showed superior inhibitory effects compared to the control, with prawn-extracted chitosan demonstrating better results, especially at concentrations of 0.1% and 0.075% against all tested microorganisms. This research contributes to the understanding of sustainable chitin and chitosan extraction and their potential applications in combating microbial pathogens.