Chitin

Reliable insight into chitin content and the interpretation of protein and crude fiber results

Chitin is a natural biopolymer found in the cell walls of fungi and in the exoskeleton of arthropods such as insects, crustaceans, and spiders. It is the second most abundant biopolymer on Earth after cellulose. Chitin provides strength and structure, for example in the “shell” of insects.

Chemically, chitin is very similar to cellulose. While cellulose is composed of glucose units, chitin consists of N-acetylglucosamine, a modified form of glucose. As a result, chitin is difficult to break down and poorly digestible, and in many applications it is considered a fiber-like component.

Within the insect value chain, chitin is becoming increasingly relevant as a parameter, mainly due to its impact on the interpretation of nutritional analyses such as protein and crude fiber.