Green production of chitin from black soldier fly pupae using a natural deep eutectic solvents
Raisya Salsabila (a), Shanny Fridarima (a), Ananda Azhari Aprianty Pabo (a), Intan Puspita Sari (a), Nila Tanyela Berghuis (a*)

a) Department of Chemistry, Universitas Pertamina, Jakarta 12220, Indonesia
*nila.tanyela[at]universitaspertamina.ac.id

Abstract

Natural deep eutectic solvents (NADESs) are eco-sustainable, non-toxic, non-volatile, renewable, reusable, and biodegradable and are composed of natural compounds. NADESs were developed as a new-generation solvent for extracting chitin from black soldier fly (BSF) pupae, and its effectiveness for demineralization and deproteinization was determined. Here, two promising NADESs, consisting of mixtures of choline chloride-betaine-xylitol (NADESs A) and choline chloride-malic acid-water (NADESs B), were tested. Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy, thermogravimetric analysis (TGA), X-ray diffraction (XRD), and scanning electron microscopy (SEM) were used to investigate the changes in the chemical composition of the extracted chitin. &#945--chitin revealed at wavenumbers 1660-1500 cm-1, in the amide group and decomposed at 330-350C. NADESs A and NADESs B have a crystalline index of 91.65% and 90.65%. The surface of chitin-NADESs A and chitin-NADESs B reveals the repetition of square, pentagonal, and hexagonal units (magnification 250x) and fibrils (magnification 25,000x). This study provides a green approach for chitin production from BSF and reveals the potential of NADESs for extracting biopolymers from natural sources.

Keywords: Black soldier fly pupae- Chitin- Natural deep eutectic solvents

Topic: ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES