Obtaining and study of physicochemical properties of chitin/chitosan-melanin complexes from Hermetia illucens

Abstract

The increase of organic wastes generated worldwide has become a global issue for the past years. Saprophagous insects including black soldier fly or Hermetia illucens have been a topic of interest among researchers due to their ability to recycle organic wastes. Once insect species mature, their biomass can be used to extract valuable biochemicals including chitin and melanin. In this study, the extraction schemes for obtaining chitin- and chitosan-melanin complexes from pupal exuviae and dead imagoes of Hermetia illucens were proposed, and their physicochemical properties were investigated. It was shown that black soldier fly can serve as a unique source of covalently bound chitosan-melanin complex with melanin content greater than 14%. In addition, the antioxidant activity of chitosan-melanin complex against DPPH activity was tested and compared to chitosan and melanin. It was revealed that chitosan-melanin complex possesses an enhanced antioxidant activity. These results suggested that black soldier fly is a promising source of chitosan-melanin complex with a high potential for cosmetic and biomedical applications.