Studies on applications of chitin and its derivatives

Chitin, a homopolymer of N-acetylglucosamine, is obtained from a variety of sources. They form the structural component of fungal cell wall and plants. They are commercially obtained from shrimp and crab shell waste from the fishing industry. Recent advances in understanding the structure and properties of chitin and its derivatives has opened a lot of new avenues for its applications. Improvements in the properties of chitin for a particular application can be easily brought about by chemical modifications. The applicability of chitin in many areas and its easy manipulation has resulted in a considerable amount of research being done on the possible applications of chitinase.