title: Chitinolytic enzymes: an appraisal as a product of commercial potential.
abstract: Chitin, its deacetylated form, chitosan and chitinolytic enzymes viz. endo-chitinase, N-acetylglucosaminidase, chitosanase, chitin deacetylase (CDA) are gaining importance for their biotechnological applications. Presently, chitin degrading enzymes constitute high-cost low-volume products in human health care and associated research. Indeed chitinases and CDA-chitosanase complex possesss tremendous potential in agriculture to control plant pathogenic fungi and insects. The success in exploring chitinases especially for agriculture, i.e. as a high-volume low-cost product, depends on the availability of highly active preparations with a reasonable cost. Therefore, a reconsideration in terms of understanding the roles of chitinolytic enzymes in applications, e.g. host-pathogen interaction for biocontrol, different mechanisms of chitin degradation, and identification of new enzymes with varying specificities, may make them more useful in a variety of commercial processes in the near future. The possible issues and challenges encountered in the translation of proof of concept into a commercial product will be appraised in this review.
authors.affiliation: Jay Biotech, 111, Matrix, World Trade Centre, Kharadi, Pune, 411014, India.
authors.forename: S B
authors.initials: SB
authors.lastname: Chavan
authors.forename: M V
authors.initials: MV
authors.lastname: Deshpande
mesh_terms: D000118:Acetylglucosaminidase / Q000378:metabolism*; D000581:Amidohydrolases / Q000378:metabolism*; D001709:Biotechnology; D002686:Chitin / Q000378:metabolism; D002688:Chitinases / Q000378:metabolism*; D006026:Glycoside Hydrolases / Q000378:metabolism*; D006801:Humans
chemical_list: D002686:Chitin; D006026:Glycoside Hydrolases; C019868:chitosanase; D002688:Chitinases; D000118:Acetylglucosaminidase; D000581:Amidohydrolases; C019866:chitin deacetylase
keywords: chitin deacetylase; chitinase; chitosanase; high-cost low-volume product; high-volume low-cost product