In situ chitin isolation from body parts of a centipede and lysozyme adsorption studies

Isolation of structurally intact chitin samples for biotechnological applications has gained much recent attention. So far, three-dimensional chitin isolates have been obtained from only diplopods and sponges. In this study, three-dimensional chitin isolates were obtained from the body parts of centipede Scolopendra sp. (antennae, head, forcipule, collum, trunk, trunk legs and last pair of legs) without leading to structural failure. FT-IR spectra of chitin isolates confirmed that chitin samples are in α allomorph. TGA, XRD and SEM analyses and lysozyme adsorption studies revealed that each chitin isolate had different thermal stability, crystallinity and surface characteristics. Among the chitin isolates, Cu(II)-immobilized forcipule chitin showed the highest affinity for lysozyme (54.1 mg/g), whereas chitin from last pair of legs exhibited the lowest affinity (3.7 mg/g). This study demonstrated that structurally intact chitin isolates can be obtained from the body parts of centipede Scolopendra sp. (antennae, head, forcipule, collum, trunk, trunk legs and last pair of legs) by using a simple chemical procedure. Also, it gives a biotechnological perspective to the organisms in the group of Chilipoda.