Isolation and characterization of chitin from bumblebee (Bombus terrestris).
Insect chitin possessing shell-like structure was prepared from the bumblebee corpses by a consequent treatment with 1M HCl and 1M NaOH. The bumblebee chitin was compared with crustacean (shrimp) chitin by using elemental analysis, Fourier-transform infrared (FT-IR) and solid-state (13)C cross-polarization magic angle spinning nuclear magnetic resonance (CP/MAS)-NMR spectroscopy and confocal microscopy. Both chitins (bumblebee and shrimp) exhibited identical spectra, while the bumblebee chitin had a 5% lower degree of acetylation and was characterized by a fine membrane texture.
Majtán
Juraj
J
Department of Molecular Apidology, Institute of Molecular Biology, Slovak Academy of Sciences, Dúbravská cesta 21, 845 51 Bratislava, Slovakia.
Bíliková
Katarína
K
Markovic
Oskar
O
Gróf
Ján
J
Kogan
Grigorij
G
Simúth
Jozef
J
D000107:Acetylation; D000818:Animals; D002686:Chitin / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D033364:Decapoda / Q000737:chemistry; D006927:Hymenoptera / Q000737:chemistry*; D019906:Nuclear Magnetic Resonance, Biomolecular
D002686:Chitin