Physicochemical Structure Analysis of Chitin Extracted from Pupa Exuviae and Dead Imago of Wild Black Soldier Fly (Hermetia illucens)

Chitin is the second most widely available natural fiber with diverse applications. Insect chitin is gaining popularity over the last decade. Black soldier fly is a widely known insect with waste management potential. In this study, chitin was isolated from Black soldier fly (Hermetia illucens) pupae exuvia (BSFE) and imago (BSFI). The chitin content was found to be 9% and 23% for pupae exuviae and imago respectively. Both the chitins were alpha-chitin. The degree of acetylation (DA) confirms that BSFE chitin has higher purity than BSFI chitin. The BSFE chitin is more amorphous than BSFI chitin. The crystallinity index (CrI) for BSFE and BSFI chitin was 25.20% and 49.4%, respectively. Both the chitins had good thermal stability with a maximum degradation (DTG(Max)) of BSFI and BSFE chitin at 363 degrees C and 371 degrees C, respectively. The Brunauer-Emmett-Teller (BET) study showed that chitin from BSFI was mesoporous with well defined cylindrical pore channels while the chitin from BSFE was non-porous. The surface area of BSFE and BSFI chitin was 1.63 and 23.00 m(2)/g respectively. Both the chitin had a smooth microfibrillar structure with repeating units. Based on the physicochemical characteristics of the BSF-derived chitin it can find promising commercial applications in tissue engineering, textile industry and as an adsorbent in water and wastewater treatment.