Abstract

                                Chitosan was extracted from silkworm pupae using different methods and the physico - chemical characteristics such as moisture, nitrogen and ash, degree of deacetylation, solubility, viscosity and pH of the final product were analysed. The moisture, nitrogen, ash and pH ranged from 7.09 to 8.57 per cent, 3.32 to 4.12 per cent, 0.36 to 0.41 per cent and 7.14 to 7.4 respectively. The degree of deacetylation was upto 97 per cent. The effect of deacetylation in comparison with different duration was also studied. The results revealed that there was increase in deacetylation per cent of chitin with increase in duration of treatment. The solubility of chitosan at one per cent acetic acid solution was 100 per cent whereas viscosity ranged from 47 to 71.4 cP.

Key words : silkworm pupae, chitosan, degree of deacetylation, solubility, viscosity