Chitin is the main structural substance of the cell walls of fungi, as well as the integuments of arthropods. It has good waterproof properties and is also an excellent structural component. Man was able to use chitin for his own purposes. What is it and why has it become so popular today?
The structure of the molecule
Because it is a polymer, it is made up of many individual glucose isomer molecules. These isomers are called N-acetyl-β-D-glucosamine, and due to the unusual beta bond in the composition, they are able to form branched polymer chains.
Chitin is sometimes referred to as chitosan. Its main difference is that it is very similar in structure to the well-known cellulose, which is part of the cell walls of plants. If the latter ranks first in production and isolation from plant tissues, then chitin, in turn, comes second in this ranking. This once again proves the popularity of the substance in industry and cosmetology.
In nature
Chitin contains all representatives of the arthropod type. This substance is in the upper layersexoskeleton of insects, spiders and crustaceans, which makes the covers waterproof. This property allowed land creatures not to be afraid of drying out and loss of water through the surface of the body.
Mushroom cells also contain chitin in their cell wall. What is it can give the body? First of all, the strength of all its cells, and avoid the loss of moisture from the cytoplasm.
Chitin is absent in plants, since their cell walls already contain another biopolymer - cellulose. On this basis, true plants and algae are distinguished, and the presence of one of the biopolymers is a comparative characteristic of different kingdoms of organisms.
Isolation of chitin
On an industrial scale, chitosan is isolated from the exoskeleton of crustaceans, although this is quite an expensive business. Therefore, the technique for isolating this polymer is constantly being modernized, and as a result, new sources of natural chitin have been found.
Thus, the high rate of reproduction of insects has become the main reason why chitin is extracted from bees or houseflies. What are these flies of yours, you ask. However, when viewed on an industrial scale, the production of chitin from insects has taken a big turn, and a sufficient amount of natural polymer is obtained as a result. So, in Russia, some points for growing bees for the purpose of extracting chitin have already been developed.
Do not forget about mushrooms, as well as some algae, since the cell membranes of these organisms contain chitin, it is isolated in the same waylike cellulose in plants. Although the efficiency of such a business leaves much to be desired, it cannot be excluded from the list of possible sources of chitosan.
The value of chitin for humans
What is chitin in biology? It is not only a structural component that prevents water loss, but also a biopolymer with bactericidal properties. This makes it possible to use chitin in the production of bandages, gauze and special bath sponges.
Chitin binds well to fats. If a person takes special medicines, which contains a certain proportion of chitosan, fats in the intestines bind to the biopolymer and are excreted from the body along with it. As a result, the amount of digestible fat decreases, which lowers the amount of cholesterol in the body. However, chitin can also play a trick on a person if used in excess, it also reduces the content of vitamin E and leads to other unpleasant consequences.
Chitosan has recently been added to cosmetic products as a natural ingredient. Such cosmetics make the skin supple, he althy nails, and hair after the action of shampoos with chitin in the composition become shiny and he althy.
Interesting facts
In Asian countries, as well as in the West, many markets sell fried grasshoppers, locusts and other representatives of arthropods. Entomophagy has recently become popular among gourmets, thanks to the content of such useful chitin in the integument of small insects and crustaceans.
Doctors have found that chitin helps with wound healing, due to its high compatibility with animal tissue. This makes it possible to use the biopolymer in the manufacture of special healing ointments, but the study of such properties of chitosan is still ongoing.
There is a very high nutritional value of such a biopolymer as chitin. What can give a handful of small insects, which is even difficult to chew? The answer will amaze you: 100 grams of grasshoppers can give the body 20.5 grams of protein when the nutritional value of regular beef is not much different and is 22.5 grams. The only problem is that harvesting 100 grams of small grasshoppers is much harder than cutting off 100 grams of meat cattle.
