An environmentally friendly method to produce nano‐chitin from shrimp by‐product

Abstract Shrimp by‐products have received much attention in recent years as a good source of chitin. However, the conventional method of extracting chitin from shrimp shells and producing nano‐chitin poses a great threat to the environment when used and generates a large amount of toxic and corrosive chemical compounds. Therefore, in this study, a greener process using Lactobacillus plantarum NCDN4 fermentation followed by environmentally friendly ammonium persulfate treatment was developed and evaluated for the production of nano‐chitin. The nano‐chitin obtained by this process had diameters ranging from 7 to 11 nm with characteristics similar to those obtained by conventional chemical treatments. These findings highlight a new direction for the environmentally friendly production of nano‐chitin from shrimp by‐products.