The new technologies in chitin/chitosan preparation

摘要

Chitin/chitosan, a naturally renewable resource, have unique functional properties including biocompatibility, biodegradability, and non-toxicity, which have been widely applied in many fields, such as food, agriculture, medicine, materials, etc. Chemical method is commonly employed in extracting chitin/chitosan in China, but that requires significant amount of waste, and will seriously pollutes the ecological environment. Recently, studies in extracting chitin/chitosan using environment-friendly methods are substantially reported at home and abroad. The aim of this paper is to review the latest research development of extraction methods of chitin/chitosan from raw materials, providing helpful guidances for researchers in this field.