skip to content
Dovepress - Open Access to Scientific and Medical Research
View our mobile site

8852

Transforming nanostructured chitin from crustacean waste into beneficial health products: a must for our society

Short Report

(1257) Views  (831) Full article downloads

Authors: Morganti P, Morganti GGM, Morganti AAM

Published Date December 2011 Volume 2011:4 Pages 123 - 129
DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.2147/NSA.S22459

P Morganti1, G Morganti2, A Morganti3,4
1Department of Dermatology, Second University of Naples, Naples, Italy; 2Centre of Nanoscience, Mavi Sud s.r.l, Aprilia, Italy; 3Max Planck Institute for Intellectual Property and Competition Law, Munich, Germany; 4Lextray, Milan, Italy

Abstract: Chitin, obtained principally from crustacean waste, is a sugar-like polymer that is available at low cost. It has been shown to be bio- and ecocompatible, and has a very low level of toxicity. Recently, it has become possible to industrially produce pure chitin crystals, named "chitin nanofibrils" (CN) for their needle-like shape and nanostructured average size (240 × 5 × 7 nm). Due to their specific chemical and physical characteristics, CN may have a range of industrial applications, from its use in biomedical products and biomimetic cosmetics, to biotextiles and health foods. At present, world offshore disposal of this natural waste material is around 250 billion tons per year. It is an underutilized resource and has the potential to supply a wide range of useful products if suitably recycled, thus contributing to sustainable growth and a greener economy.

Keywords: chitin nanofibrils, biomimetic cosmetics, biomedical products, food, nanotechnology, waste






 

Other articles by Professor Pierfrancesco Morganti



Readers of this article also read:

Nanofibers and their applications in tissue engineering
Role of aliskiren in cardio-renal protection and use in hypertensives with multiple risk factors
Food nanotechnology – an overview
Biosensors: the new wave in cancer diagnosis
The current state of engineered nanomaterials in consumer goods and waste streams: the need to develop nanoproperty-quantifiable sensors for monitoring engineered nanomaterials
Biocompatible medical implant materials with binding sites for a biodegradable drug-delivery system
Cumulative clinical experience from over a decade of use of levofloxacin in community-acquired pneumonia: critical appraisal and role in therapy
Superhydrophobic nature of nanostructures on an indigenous Australian eucalyptus plant and its potential application
Synthesis, characterization, and in vitro evaluation of novel polymer-coated magnetic nanoparticles for controlled delivery of doxorubicin
Preparation and characterization of solid lipid nanoparticles loaded with frankincense and myrrh oil
  • Testimonials

    "... I was impressed at the rapidity of publication from submission to final acceptance." Dr Edwin Thrower, PhD, Yale University