Insect-Derived Chitin and Chitosan: A Still Unexploited Resource for the Edible Insect Sector

Kashif ur Rehman (), Clemens Hollah, Karin Wiesotzki, Volker Heinz, Kemal Aganovic (), Rashid ur Rehman, Janos-Istvan Petrusan, Longyu Zheng, Jibin Zhang, Summar Sohail, Muhammad Khalid Mansoor, Christos I. Rumbos, Christos Athanassiou and Minmin Cai
Additional contact information
Kashif ur Rehman: DIL—Deutsches Institut für Lebensmitteltechnik e.V. (German Institute of Food Technologies), 49610 Quackenbruck, Germany
Clemens Hollah: DIL—Deutsches Institut für Lebensmitteltechnik e.V. (German Institute of Food Technologies), 49610 Quackenbruck, Germany
Karin Wiesotzki: DIL—Deutsches Institut für Lebensmitteltechnik e.V. (German Institute of Food Technologies), 49610 Quackenbruck, Germany
Volker Heinz: DIL—Deutsches Institut für Lebensmitteltechnik e.V. (German Institute of Food Technologies), 49610 Quackenbruck, Germany
Kemal Aganovic: DIL—Deutsches Institut für Lebensmitteltechnik e.V. (German Institute of Food Technologies), 49610 Quackenbruck, Germany
Rashid ur Rehman: Department of Energy and Chemical Engineering, Incheon National University, Incheon 22012, Republic of Korea
Janos-Istvan Petrusan: DIL—Deutsches Institut für Lebensmitteltechnik e.V. (German Institute of Food Technologies), 49610 Quackenbruck, Germany
Longyu Zheng: State Key Laboratory of Agricultural Microbiology, National Engineering Research Center of Microbial Pesticides, College of Life Science and Technology, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan 430070, China
Jibin Zhang: State Key Laboratory of Agricultural Microbiology, National Engineering Research Center of Microbial Pesticides, College of Life Science and Technology, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan 430070, China
Summar Sohail: Department of Environmental Sciences, Kohsar University, Murree 47150, Pakistan
Muhammad Khalid Mansoor: Department of Microbiology, Faculty of Veterinary and Animal Sciences, The Islamia University of Bahawalpur, Bahawalpur 63100, Pakistan
Christos I. Rumbos: Laboratory of Entomology and Agricultural Zoology, University of Thessaly, 38221 Volos, Greece
Christos Athanassiou: Laboratory of Entomology and Agricultural Zoology, University of Thessaly, 38221 Volos, Greece
Minmin Cai: State Key Laboratory of Agricultural Microbiology, National Engineering Research Center of Microbial Pesticides, College of Life Science and Technology, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan 430070, China

Sustainability, 2023, vol. 15, issue 6, 1-34

Abstract: Chitin and chitosan are biopolymers that are frequently found in nature and have a broad range of applications in the food, biomedical and industrial sectors, due to their high biological activity. The primary source of chitin and chitosan is shellfish, however, shortages in the supply chain, seasonality issues in their availability, as well as ecological degradation are only a few of the problems with the main chitin resources. Due to the broad spectrum of applications for which chitin can be used, the demand for chitin and its derivatives is increasing. Therefore, the market is looking for widely available, greener alternatives to the main commercial chitin sources. Insects appear as a suitable candidate to fill this gap. During insect rearing and processing, a number of side streams are generated, e.g., exuviae of larvae and pupae, dead adults, etc. which are currently mostly discarded as waste. However, these side streams could constitute a novel and long-term supply of chitin for industrial applications. Recent research has demonstrated the suitability of several edible insect species for the production of chitin and chitosan, wherein the exoskeleton of the black soldier fly and field cricket are rich in chitin, making them a good source for chitin and chitosan extraction and purification among other farmed insect candidates. Moreover, several potential uses have been identified for insect-derived chitin and chitosan. Thus, this review aims to present recent advances in the production of chitin and chitosan from edible insects, specifically on their extraction and purification, as well as on their applications for agriculture, food and nutrition, biomedicine and bioplastic production.

Keywords: antibacterial; antioxidants; food packaging; food shelf lives; black soldier fly; yellow mealworm (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: O13 Q Q0 Q2 Q3 Q5 Q56 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2023
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (2)

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