Chitosan is derived from the deacetylation of “Chitin”.
Chitin is widely found in the shells of shrimps, crabs, insects and the cell walls of algae. The annual biosynthesis of chitin in nature is about 10 billion tons, which is the second largest organic resource on the earth except cellulose. It is the only alkaline and positively charged natural polysaccharide organic matter found in nature. It is a renewable natural resource that can be degraded naturally and will not pollute the environment.
Commercial chitosan is mainly derived from offshore crab shells, shrimp shells/deep sea crab shells. Manufacturers mainly collect crabs and shrimps from processing plants.