Chitosan from horseshoe crab – an alternative source of Chitosan

Chitin is a type of polysaccharide that can be found in the exoskeleton of arthropods, including the horseshoe crab. It is widely used in the pharmaceutical industry, together with its derivative, namely chitosan. The use of horseshoe crab as a source of halal chitin and chitosan ensures the pharmaceutical products being produced are able to enhance the halalan toyyiban lifestyle. In this research, the percentage of chitin and chitosan from the horseshoe crab Tachypleus gigas carapace were investigated. The horseshoe crabs used in this study were from the East Coast (Balok, Pahang) and the West Coast (Muar, Johor) of the Malaysian Peninsula. Chitin was isolated from the horseshoe crab carapace by a series of chemical processes. Its derivative, namely chitosan, was produced through the deacetylation process. Samples from Muar showed a higher composition of chitin compared to Balok by 24.73% and 19.61% respectivel