Evaluación del dempeño de pretratamiento alcalinos y oxidativos para obtener quitosano usando microorganismos eficaces en la degradación del exoesqueleto de camarón (Litopenaeus vannamei)

Abstract

Chitin is the second most abundant natural polysaccharide on Earth, after cellulose. Through the deacetylation process, it is transformed into chitosan, a material of great interest in biotechnology due to its unique properties, such as enzyme and cell immobilization, its ability to form chelates with metal ions, and its biodegradability. In this study, the effectiveness of alkaline and oxidative pretreatments was evaluated for obtaining chitosan from the shrimp exoskeleton (Litopenaeus vannamei), using microorganisms effective in chitin degradation. Various fermentative treatments with bacterial consortia were analyzed, and deacetylation was carried out using alkaline solutions combined with hydrogen peroxide. The degree of acetylation and deacetylation of the obtained chitin and chitosan was evaluated using FTIR spectroscopy. The results showed that the UC (Waste & Sludge) bacterial consortium, composed of Bacillus species, was the most efficient in exoskeleton degradation. Regarding chemical treatments, treatment PT17 (7.5% NaOH and 3% hydrogen peroxide for 20 minutes) achieved an optimal balance between structural preservation and transformation into chitosan, reaching a deacetylation degree of 57.81% with a 63.41% similarity to commercial chitosan