Green Processes for Chitin and Chitosan Production from Insects: Current State, Challenges, and Opportunities

Area of Science:

• Biotechnology
• Sustainable Chemistry
• Materials Science

Background:

• Chitin and chitosan are vital biopolymers with diverse applications.
• Traditional extraction from crustaceans faces supply challenges.
• Insect biomass is an emerging, sustainable alternative source.

Purpose of the Study:

• To critically review greener chitin and chitosan extraction methods from insect biomass.
• To evaluate yields and sustainability of various insect-derived extraction workflows.
• To identify limitations and opportunities for industrial-scale green production.

Main Methods:

• Systematic review of over 30 extraction workflows from 16 studies.
• Cross-comparison of chitin/chitosan yields across insect life stages and byproducts.
• Stepwise sustainability assessment of extraction processes.

Main Results:

• Black soldier fly larval exoskeletons can yield up to 35.7% chitin.
• Few methods (e.g., bromelain, NADES) achieved fully green chitin extraction.
• No fully green chitosan conversion was reported; low-fat content and minimal pretreatment favored green workflows.

Conclusions:

• Insect-derived chitin/chitosan production offers environmental benefits over traditional methods.
• Further refinement of green extraction techniques is needed for efficient, industrial-scale chitosan production.
• Enhanced sustainability data generation is crucial for validating green chitin/chitosan processes.