Physicochemical Properties of Chitosan Extracted from Silkworm (Bombyx mori L.) Exuviae
Dukare Pradip Gulabrao *
Department of Sericulture, College of Agriculture, UAS, GKVK, Bengaluru - 560 065, India.
N. Amarnatha
Department of Sericulture, College of Sericulture, UAS(B), Chintamani - 563 125, India.
Harish Reddy
Department of Sericulture, College of Agriculture, UAS, GKVK, Bengaluru - 560 065, India.
Thrilekha D.
Department of Sericulture, College of Agriculture, UAS, GKVK, Bengaluru - 560 065, India.
Kenchappa N. M.
Department of Sericulture, College of Agriculture, UAS, GKVK, Bengaluru - 560 065, India.
Naveen Chandra Reddy
Department of Sericulture, College of Agriculture, UAS, GKVK, Bengaluru - 560 065, India.
*Author to whom correspondence should be addressed.
Abstract
This study investigated the chitosan content in various developmental stages of silkworms, specifically focusing on larval cuticle, moult exuviae and larval exuviae. The chitosan percentage varied significantly among different stages, with the highest content observed in bivoltine hybrid larval exuviae (19.37%) and the lowest in the 1st instar larval cuticle (9.93%). Chitosan content showed a consistent increase during moulting stages, reaching its peak in exuviae. The investigation extended to examine properties of chitosan, including moisture content, nitrogen content, ash content, degree of deacetylation (DD), solubility, viscosity and pH. Moisture content ranged from 5.80 to 7.84%, nitrogen content from 5.05 to 6.17%, ash content within 0.50 to 0.80% and DD from 85.10 to 92.71%. Solubility ranged from 92.25 to 98.25% and viscosity was measured between 47 and 58 cP. The pH values ranged from 6.72 to 7.49. These findings contribute valuable insights into the chitosan characteristics at different developmental stages of silkworms, providing a comprehensive understanding of its variations and potential applications.
Keywords: Silkworm, chitosan, chitin, mealworm