Chitin

Chitin (CAS 1398-61-4), also referenced in technical contexts as PNAG, is a naturally derived polysaccharide obtained primarily from crustacean shells and fungal biomass.

Where is Chitin used?

• Food and nutrition: dietary fiber source and texture modifier in functional food products
• Pharmaceutical and biomedical: films, membranes, and scaffolds for wound dressings and controlled-release delivery systems
• Agriculture: soil amendment and crop biostimulant that activates plant defense responses
• Biotechnology: chromatography matrix material and substrate for enzyme immobilization
• It functions as a structural biopolymer and rheology modifier.

Commercial specifications

• Purity specifications are typically defined by the degree of deacetylation and molecular weight range.
• Shrimp-derived and squid-derived variants are the most commercially prevalent.
• Fungal-sourced material is available for applications requiring non-crustacean certification or vegan compliance.