On chemistry of γ-chitin

Abstract

The biological material, chitin, is present in nature in three allomorphic forms: alpha, beta and gamma. Whereas most studies have dealt with alpha- and beta-chitin, only few investigations have focused on gamma-chitin, whose structural and physicochemical properties have not been well delineated. In this study, chitin obtained for the first time from the cocoon of the moth (Orgyia dubia) was subjected to extensive physicochemical analyses and examined, in parallel, with alpha-chitin from exoskeleton of a freshwater crab and 5-chitin from cuttlebone of the common cuttlefish. Our results, which are supported by13C CP-MAS NMR, XRD, FT-IR, Raman spectroscopy, TGA, DSC, SEM, AFM, chitinase digestive test and elemental analysis, verify the authenticity of beta-chitin. Further, quantum chemical calculations were conducted on all three allomorphic forms, and, together with our physicochemical analyses, demonstrate that gamma-chitin is distinct, yet closer in structure to alpha-chitin than beta-chitin.