COMPARATIVE STUDIES OF THE PHYSICOCHEMICAL PROPERTIES OF CHITOSAN FROM COMMERCIAL AND BIOWASTE SOURCES

Abstract

Chitosan is a bio-polymer that consists of β-(1-4-2- acetamido-2-deoxy-D-glucose) glucosamine units, which has found its usefulness in several applications such as agricultural, textiles, food, biomedical and pharmaceutical industries. Proximate composition and Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopic (FTIR) characterization of chitosan extracted from periwinkle shell using Moringa oleifera as agent of deproteination and deacetylation (CM) and commercial chitosan (CC) purchased from MarkNature USA were studied. The aim was to utilize local waste, periwinkle shell and naturally sourced alkali as deproteination and deacetylation agents to synthesize chitosan and compare the physicochemical properties with the commercially procured chitosan. Moisture, ash and protein contents were determined using standard methods. The percentage yield, solubility, degree of deacetylation, water and fat binding capacities were also determined using their standard methods. Characterization was done using FTIR. CM and CC respectively had moisture content (1.51 and 6.94) %, ash content (3.92 and 1.87) % and protein content (2.29 and 1.70) %, water binding capacity (1078 and 970) %, fat binding capacity (294.11 and 177.61) %. The percentage yield and degree of deacetylation of CM were 87 % and 78.30 respectively. Both CM and CC were soluble in 1% acetic acid. The FTIR spectra of CM and CC gave characteristic free hydroxyl (OH) band at (3774 and 4037.00) cm-1 respectively, aliphatic –OH- absorption bands of (3470 and 3430.17) cm–1, aliphatic CH3 absorption bands of (2927 and 2966) cm–1 respectively. The study has shown that chitosan prepared from periwinkle shell using naturally sourced alkali showed good physicochemical properties when compared with commercial chitosan.