title: Physico-chemical characteristics and functional properties of chitin and chitosan produced by Mucor circinelloides using yam bean as substrate.
abstract: Microbiological processes were used for chitin and chitosan production by Mucor circinelloides (UCP 050) grown in yam bean (Pachyrhizus erosus L. Urban) medium. The polysaccharides were extracted by alkali-acid treatment and structural investigations by X-ray diffraction, Fourier transform IR analysis, viscosity and thermal analysis by TG, DTG, and DTA were done. The highest biomass yield (20.7 g/L) was obtained at 96 hours. The highest levels of chitosan (64 mg/g) and chitin (500 mg/g) were produced at 48 and 72 hours, respectively. It was demonstrated that yam bean shows great potential as an economic medium and it is possible to achieve a good yield of chitosan with chemical properties that enable its use in biotechnological applications.
authors.affiliation: Nutrition Program, Federal University of Pernambuco, Recife 50670-901, Brazil. bethfai@yahoo.com.br
authors.forename: Ana Elizabeth C
authors.initials: AE
authors.lastname: Fai
authors.forename: Thayza C M
authors.initials: TC
authors.lastname: Stamford
authors.forename: Thatiana M
authors.initials: TM
authors.lastname: Stamford-Arnaud
authors.forename: Petrus D'Amorim
authors.initials: PD
authors.lastname: Santa-Cruz
authors.forename: Marta C Freitas
authors.initials: MC
authors.lastname: da Silva
authors.forename: Galba M
authors.initials: GM
authors.lastname: Campos-Takaki
authors.forename: Tânia L M
authors.initials: TL
authors.lastname: Stamford
mesh_terms: D000107:Acetylation; D061249:Batch Cell Culture Techniques; D002152:Calorimetry, Differential Scanning; D002686:Chitin / Q000737:chemistry / Q000378:metabolism*; D048271:Chitosan / Q000737:chemistry / Q000378:metabolism*; D003470:Culture Media / Q000737:chemistry*; D005285:Fermentation; D009089:Mucor / Q000378:metabolism*; D029905:Pachyrhizus / Q000737:chemistry*; D033362:Powder Diffraction; D014961:X-Ray Diffraction
chemical_list: D003470:Culture Media; D002686:Chitin; D048271:Chitosan