Extraction and characterization of chitin scales from red tilapia (oreochromis sp.) from Huila, Colombia by chemical methods

Abstract Chitin is the second largest lineal biopolymer in the world. Recent advances suggest chitin can be obtained from fish scales. In this article, three different treatments were used to obtain chitin from red tilapia (Orechromis sp.) fish scales. All samples were insoluble in solvents and acid used. They also presented different percentages of carbon (3.27-55.80 %); oxygen (22.09-42.51 %); nitrogen (11.61-11.81 %); P (1.08-22.2 %); Ca (1.26-26.11 %); Na (0.53-1.02 %); and Mg (0.26-0.91 %). The 3,340-3,380 cm-1 bands shown in infrared spectra correspond to hydroxyl group of polymeric glucosamine bases and 1,415 -1,456 cm-1 peaks correspond to characteristic N-H bond of amide functional group. Images (SE) showed different dimensions of particles (0.1 -30 μm) and mean molecular masses, Mw, for Ch1, Ch2 and Ch3 were 1064.28, 1064.56 and 823.428, respectively, with a 1.0074 polydispersity.