Chitin is the second most abundant bio-polymer after cellulose in earth. This carbohydrate polymer is one of the major components of the cell wall of some micro-organisms and exoskeleton of certain invertebrates. Recent studies show the potential application of chitin and its derivatives in chemical, medical, agricultural, food technology, pollutant treatment and textile sectors. The traditional resources of chitin for industrial processing are crustacean shells and fungal mycelia. This work attempts to extract and characterize chitin from the edible insect Coridius nepalensis . The results were compared with the commercial chitin extracted from shrimp ( Pandalus borealis ). The chitin yield of from C. nepalensis was found to be 43.97% of its dry weight. The degree of acetylation was recorded as 57.67%. FT-IR spectrum showed the extracted chitin as α - allomorph. The peaks of the chitin extracted from C. nepalensis in X-ray diffractogram are less sharp compared to commercial shrimp chitin. Thus, the degree of acetylation, FT-IR spectrum and XRD show mixture of chitin and chitosan in the extracted chitin from C. nepalensis . The crystalline index (CrI 110 ) for C. nepalensis and commercial shrimp chitin was calculated as 86.33% and 71.56% respectively. Scanning electron micrographs indicated granular surface morphology the extracted chitin of C. nepalensis, in contrast to commercial shrimp chitin, which was fibrous and porous. Thus, the present study indicates the possibility to use the adults of C. nepalensis as a new and alternative source of biomaterial.

中文翻译：

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从食用昆虫 Coridius nepalensis (Westwood, 1837) (Hemiptera: Dinidoridae) 中提取的几丁质含量的表征

几丁质是地球上仅次于纤维素的第二丰富的生物聚合物。这种碳水化合物聚合物是某些微生物细胞壁和某些无脊椎动物外骨骼的主要成分之一。最近的研究表明，甲壳素及其衍生物在化学、医疗、农业、食品技术、污染物处理和纺织领域的潜在应用。用于工业加工的甲壳素的传统资源是甲壳类贝壳和真菌菌丝体。这项工作试图从可食用昆虫 Coridius nepalensis 中提取和表征几丁质。结果与从虾（Pandalus borealis）中提取的商业几丁质进行了比较。发现来自 C. nepalensis 的几丁质产量为其干重的 43.97%。乙酰化度记录为57.67%。FT-IR光谱表明提取的几丁质为α-异形体。与商品虾几丁质相比，从 C. nepalensis 中提取的几丁质在 X 射线衍射图中的峰不那么尖锐。因此，乙酰化程度、FT-IR 光谱和 XRD 显示从 C. nepalensis 提取的几丁质中的几丁质和壳聚糖的混合物。C. nepalensis 和商品虾几丁质的结晶指数 (CrI 110 ) 分别计算为 86.33% 和 71.56%。扫描电子显微照片表明，C. nepalensis 提取的几丁质呈颗粒状表面形态，而商品虾几丁质呈纤维状和多孔状。因此，本研究表明可以使用 C. nepalensis 成虫作为新的替代生物材料来源。与商业虾几丁质相比，X 射线衍射图中的 nepalensis 不那么清晰。因此，乙酰化程度、FT-IR 光谱和 XRD 显示从 C. nepalensis 提取的几丁质中的几丁质和壳聚糖的混合物。C. nepalensis 和商品虾几丁质的结晶指数 (CrI 110 ) 分别计算为 86.33% 和 71.56%。扫描电子显微照片表明，C. nepalensis 提取的几丁质呈颗粒状表面形态，而商品虾几丁质呈纤维状和多孔状。因此，本研究表明可以使用 C. nepalensis 成虫作为新的替代生物材料来源。与商业虾几丁质相比，X 射线衍射图中的 nepalensis 不那么清晰。因此，乙酰化程度、FT-IR 光谱和 XRD 显示从 C. nepalensis 提取的几丁质中的几丁质和壳聚糖的混合物。C. nepalensis 和商品虾几丁质的结晶指数 (CrI 110 ) 分别计算为 86.33% 和 71.56%。扫描电子显微照片表明，C. nepalensis 提取的几丁质呈颗粒状表面形态，而商品虾几丁质呈纤维状和多孔状。因此，本研究表明可以使用 C. nepalensis 成虫作为新的替代生物材料来源。C. nepalensis 和商品虾几丁质的结晶指数 (CrI 110 ) 分别计算为 86.33% 和 71.56%。扫描电子显微照片表明，C. nepalensis 提取的几丁质呈颗粒状表面形态，而商品虾几丁质呈纤维状和多孔状。因此，本研究表明可以使用 C. nepalensis 成虫作为新的替代生物材料来源。C. nepalensis 和商品虾几丁质的结晶指数 (CrI 110 ) 分别计算为 86.33% 和 71.56%。扫描电子显微照片表明，C. nepalensis 提取的几丁质呈颗粒状表面形态，而商品虾几丁质呈纤维状和多孔状。因此，本研究表明可以将 C. nepalensis 的成虫用作新的替代生物材料来源。