PREPARATION OF DEACETYLATED CHITIN FROM GLADIUS OF Lolious investigatoris (GOODRICH, 1896) AND EVALUATION OF ITS LEVEL OF REACTIVE OXYGEN SPECIES

Abstract

Introduction: Chitin is the second most common substance found in nature after cellulose. It is mostly found in the cell walls of fungus, insects' cuticles, and crustacean exoskeletons. By removing an acetyl group from chitin using glucosamine and N-acetylglucosamine, chitin can be transformed into chitosan. Because of chitosan's strong biological compatibility, biodegradability, hemostatic activity, and wound healing function, it is widely employed in biomedicine. Antioxidants are chemicals that slow down or stop cellular substrates from oxidation. Finding natural antioxidants has attracted more attention recently because of their excellent properties and less side effects. To prepare deacetylated chitin from gladius of Loliolus investigatoris and evaluate its level of reactive oxygen species.

Materials and methods: Chitin was extracted from the pulverised gladius of Lolious investigatoris powder by demineralisation and deproteinization. Chitin thus obtained was converted into chitosan by the process of deacetylation. Post lyophilisation of the obtained precipitate, the deacetylated chitin was characterised through FTIR, SEM and XRD. The antioxidant properties of the prepared chitosan were assessed by employing 3 crucial assays, namely, DPPH radical scavenging assay, metal ion chelating assay and superoxide radical scavenging assay.

Results: The functional group properties of prepared chitosan were analysed through FT-IR spectroscopy and different bands were recorded. SEM analysis assessed the morphological parameters of the deacetylated chitin and revealed a smooth and non porous membranous surface. XRD analysed the crystalline structure of the extracted chitosan and various peaks at different intensities were analysed. The antioxidant activity of prepared chitosan was found to be around 65-75% of the different standards used in DPPH radical scavenging assay, metal ion chelating assay and superoxide radical scavenging assay.

Conclusion: The results of this study indicate that the deacetylated chitin derived from the gladius of Loliolus investigatoris has excellent structural and antioxidant properties and can be employed commercially after further confirmation through in vivo models.