LAUSR

Identification of chitosan from new local marine sources could be a great challenge for research in terms of using this biopolymer in various pharmaceutical, environmental or food applications. In the present study, two chitosan powder samples extracted from processed shrimps waste and Rapana venosa eggs capsules were compared with a food supplement sample based on chitosan, from the point of view of spectral analyses (FTIR spectroscopy), of their solubility in dilute acetic acid solutions (1 %), insoluble substances content, and fats binding capacity. In order to determine the fat binding capacity of the tested chitosan samples, different types of cold pressed vegetables oils (olive oil, sunflower oil, soybean oil, argan oil and coconut oil) and animal fats (butter and pork lard) were used. The present study highlighted that the chitosan samples, chemically extracted with low financial efforts by waste recovery of crustaceans and mollusks from Romanian Black Sea coast, could be an important source with high potential. The obtained results showed a good fat binding capacity, especially for chitosan samples extracted from shrimps waste compared to the chitosan sample chosen as reference. These compounds may be successfully used in pharmaceutical applications, in various formulations as dietary supplement, or as useful therapeutic component in the hypocholesterolemia treatment or in prevention of cardiovascular risk, due to their good solubility in dilute acidic solutions and lower values of insoluble content.