Structure and Antibacterial Activity of Chitosan from the American Cockroach, the German Cockroach and the Mealworm Beetle.

Background: Owing to chitosan properties such as biocompatibility and antimicrobial activities, and several applications in biomedical field, some physicochemical and anti-bacterial properties, and the level of chitosan from three species of American cockroach, Methods: The cuticle of adults derived from specimens was dried and grounded. The powders were demineralized as well as deproteinized after deacetylation via NaOH. At last, the chitosan yields from insects were studied for antibacterial activity on Gram-positive bacteria ( Results: The chitosan ratios of the American and German cockroaches and the mealworm beetle were 5.80, 2.95, and 1.70% per 3 g of the dried bodies respectively. The chitin DD's for the American cockroach, the German cockroach and the mealworm beetle were 36.8%, 31.5% and 27.3%, respectively. The bactericidal activity of chitosan obtained from the American cockroach at a concentration of 1% had the greatest effect on Conclusion: According to the results, the anti-bacterial influence of the chitosan is based upon the insect species and chitosan concentration. Probably, the variation relates to the changes in the chitin structure among the three insect species.