ABSTRACT
References .......................................................................................................................... 516
As a structural polysaccharide in animals with an outer skeleton, and as a component of the
cell walls of certain fungi and algae, chitin is found in abundance and is second only to
cellulose in nature, whereas chitosans have so far only been found in the cell walls of certain
fungi. The raw material for all commercial production of chitosans is chitin, and the annual
production of chitin has been estimated to be 2000 metric tonnes (year 2000) [1]. Chitin is also
used for substantial production of glucosamine, with an estimated annual production of 4000
tonnes [1].
