Advances in Biological Research 9 (6): 389-396, 2015 ISSN 1992-0067 © IDOSI Publications, 2015 DOI: 10.5829/idosi.abr.2015.9.6.96183 Corresponding Author: Immaculate Jayasanta K, Suganthi Devadason Marine Research Institute, Tuticorin, Tamil Nadu, India. 389 Extraction of Chitosan from White Shrimp (Litopenaeus vannamei ) Processing Waste and Examination of its Bioactive Potentials S.I. Jeyanth Allwin, K. Immaculate Jeyasanta and Jamila Patterson Suganthi Devadason Marine Research Institute, Tuticorin Tamil Nadu, India Abstract: Fisheries are playing a key role in the changing profile of Indian economic growth. Export of processed and frozen crustacean products is the backbone of seafood export in India. The industrial processing of shrimps after peeling generates 3000 tonnes of wastes every year and it largely exists in wastes from the processing of marine food products. A part of this waste used for feed industry and maximum of this waste simply discarded which usually cause environmental nuisance. This study aims at the extraction of chitosan from shrimp shells and the use of this chitosan in successfully carrying out various applications in laboratory. At first, this waste can be utilized as an economic source of chitin. The obtained chitin was transformed into the more useful soluble Chitosan. These products were characterized by their biological activity as antimicrobial and antifungal properties. The results showed that tested chitosan markedly inhibited more of the gram negative bacteria and pathogenic fungal strains. Their antioxidant activity was investigated with 2, 2-diphenyl-1- picrylhydrazyl radical scavenging activity. The scavenging ability of Chitosan on DPPH radicals ranged from 10.08% to 14.72% at 0.25 to 2mg/ml. Chitosan, since a high antimicrobial activity against a wide variety of pathogenic and spoilage bacteria and fungi with antioxidative property it can be used very fast development in food application area. Key words: Shrimp Processing Waste Antibacterial Anti Fungal Antioxidant INTRODUCTION [5-7] with species and seasonal variations [8]. Shrimp processing for freezing normally involves become a serious environmental concern [9]. Although removal of head and body carapace. Processing of these wastes are biodegradable but the rate of shrimps generates large quantities of solid wastes. degradation of a large amount of waste generated per The solid shrimp waste contains head and body shell processing operation is comparatively slow [10]. accounts approximately to 40-50% of whole shrimp weight This results in accumulation over time and the ads to [1]. About 40% of the waste is chitin, incrusted with environmental concerns as they not only produce calcium carbonate and astaxanthin and containing meat obnoxious smell but also attract pathogenic insects, flies and a small amount of lipid residues. A small part of the and rodents, thus creating an unhygienic atmosphere. waste is dried and used as chicken feed [2] while the rest The immediate solution to this problem seems to be is dumped into the sea, which is one of the main quick recycling of the crustacean shells generated and pollutants in coastal areas [3]. The waste generated from extraction of commercially viable substances to be further the worldwide production and processing of shellfish is used in other applications [11]. As we know the shell and a serious problem of growing magnitude and is a threat to head wastes of crustaceans contain chitin, proteins and the environment. minerals. So by demineralizing and deproteinizing the The utilization of shellfish waste has been proposed wastes chitin can be obtained. Moreover the chitin can be not only to solve environmental problems, but as a waste further deacetylated to produce Chitosan, a valuable treatment alternative to the disposal of shellfish wastes chemical substance having a wide range of viable uses [4]. Crustacean shell waste consists mainly of 30 - 40% [12]. It is essential to convert shell waste into useful protein, 30 - 50% calcium carbonate and 20-30% chitin products such as chitin and chitosan etc., by recycling The disposal of such an enormous amount of waste has