Amutha Ramasamy / Edwin S. C / Edwin SC / Ezhil Valavan Subbiah
In India aquaculture industry is also increasing rapidly with growth rate of 6 % per annum. This industry includes shell fish like prawns, lobsters and krills etc., also called crustaceans. Crustacean wastes are one of the major sources for producing value-added products like chitin and chitosan. India has a capacity of production of 10,000 tons of chitin per year from prawn shell only. This prawn waste is also utilized for producing chitin, chitosan and glucosamine hydrochloride that is consumed in the pharmaceutical industry. During the chitin extraction process, the prawn shells are restrained to deproteinisation causing formation of chitin precipitate and protein slurry containing around 6-7 per cent protein. The shell waste slurry was utilized in layer diet by coating the same on DORB and broiler diet. A multitude of agents viz., cellulose, pectin, sunflower meal, chitin, Lactobacillus acidophilus have been tried to decrease the serum and egg yolk cholesterol, of which chitin and Lactobacillus acidophilus have enticed the scientists by their unique attribute in decreasing the serum total cholesterol and egg yolk cholesterol.
