Extraction and Evaluation of Chitosan from Crab Exoskeleton as a Seed Fungicide and Plant Growth Enhancer

Proper disposal of seafood wastes is a continuous problem along the Eastern shores of the United States. Blue crab and scallop processing plants continuously dumped their residues into landfills, creating management and environmental concerns associated with ground and drinking water pollution. Additionally, build up of seafood waste generates an unpleasant odor and becomes an eye-sore to both tourists and local communities. Consequently, the present study was designed to evaluate alternate uses for seafood wastes that are economically feasible. The goal of this study was to isolate chitosan from crab exoskeletons and evaluate its potential as a fungicide against seed infection and a plant growth enhancer. Chitosan was obtained by first removing the shell-meat and recovering the calcium carbonate and proteins. Crab exoskeleton samples were demineralized with either 0.5% or 1.0% HCl or 5% or 10% CH COOH. A growth enhancement study was 3 conducted with black-eyed peas exposed to the different chitosan treatments. A similar anti-fungal experiment with peanut seeds infested with Penicillium was conducted as well. Data on plants height, stem diameter and leaf counts were recorded biweekly for 4 months and analyzed using PROC ANOVA and PROC General Linear Model Statistical Systems. These measurements suggested that seeds pre-treated with the chitosan extracted with 0.5%HCl had the best overall growth and both chitosan (0.5% HCl) and Captan were the most effective in eliminating fungus from peanuts. This research presents plausible possibilities in which seafood waste can be utilized for agricultural purposes.