Development of innovative technologies to decrease the environmental burdens associated with using chitin as a biomass resource: Mechanochemical grinding and enzymatic degradation

The production of N-acetylglucosamine (GlcNAc, chitin monosaccharide) from crab or shrimp shells generally requires numerous steps and the use of deleterious substances. One goal for researchers is the direct production of GlcNAc and NN′-diacetylchitobiose [(GlcNAc)2, chitin structural dimeric unit] from both chitin and crab shells. The present study reports the development of an intensive ball “converge” mill for the rapid mechanochemical conversion of chitin or crab shells into amorphous, chitinase-sensitive microparticles. Optimal crab shell grinding parameters were determined, and close to 100% direct degradation of chitin from crab shell to GlcNAc was achieved. This is the first report of using a mechanochemical process with enzymatic degradation to decrease the environmental burdens associated with GlcNAc production from chitin.