Issue 20, 2020

One-step processing of shrimp shell waste with a chitinase fused to a carbohydrate-binding module

Abstract

As a potential renewable and nitrogen-rich feedstock, tons of shrimp shell waste is generated from the increasing consumption of seafood. However, its traditional processing is costly and creates pollution. The bioconversion of shell waste into valuable nitrogen-containing chemicals via enzymatic hydrolysis is a promising technology. However, intact shells are poorly hydrolyzed by chitinases unless pre-demineralization and deproteinization with chemicals or proteases are performed. In this study, three carbohydrate-binding modules (CBMs) were fused to the C-terminal of a chitinase Chit46 to enhance its hydrolysis of shrimp shell waste. The addition of CBMs significantly improved the chitinase activity and substrate-binding activity of Chit46. Chimeric chitinases could directly hydrolyze shrimp shells without pretreatment and their hydrolysis efficiency was much higher than that of previously reported chitinases. With the modified chitinase (‘Chit46-CBM3’), we developed a one-step shrimp shell processing method. The method could convert 46.5% of chitin in shrimp shells to chitin oligomers by hydrolysis in 12 h. Partial protein release accompanied chitin hydrolysis. Consisting of 8.8 g l−1 chitin oligomers and 11.3 g l−1 protein, the hydrolysate could support robust microbial growth and the residue was more digestible by mammals than conventional shrimp shell powder. This process is superior to previously reported methods in cost, conversion efficiency and labour. The one-step process also exhibited a much lower ecological footprint than conventional processing and can be applied to other types of chitinous waste in addition to shrimp shells.

Graphical abstract: One-step processing of shrimp shell waste with a chitinase fused to a carbohydrate-binding module

Supplementary files

Article information

Article type
Paper
Submitted
30 Qad 2020
Accepted
11 Way 2020
First published
11 Way 2020

Green Chem., 2020,22, 6862-6873

One-step processing of shrimp shell waste with a chitinase fused to a carbohydrate-binding module

J. Deng, M. Zhang, Z. Li, D. Lu, H. Mao, M. Zhu, J. Li and X. Luo, Green Chem., 2020, 22, 6862 DOI: 10.1039/D0GC02611E

To request permission to reproduce material from this article, please go to the Copyright Clearance Center request page.

If you are an author contributing to an RSC publication, you do not need to request permission provided correct acknowledgement is given.

If you are the author of this article, you do not need to request permission to reproduce figures and diagrams provided correct acknowledgement is given. If you want to reproduce the whole article in a third-party publication (excluding your thesis/dissertation for which permission is not required) please go to the Copyright Clearance Center request page.

Read more about how to correctly acknowledge RSC content.

Social activity

Spotlight

Advertisements