Chitinous Seafood Waste for Production of a Fungicidal Enzyme

Chitin rich seafood waste which is a major waste from seafood industries including crab shells, shrimp and prawn waste, and fish scales etc. Certain bacterium could produce an enzyme called chitinase for the degradation of the chitinous waste when provided the favorable growth conditions. Chitinase enzyme is said to possess antibiotic activity and could be used as antifungal agent for killing phytopathogenic fungi. Hence from seafood waste which is of no commercial use, an enzyme that could be used in treating fungi which cause diseases in plants could be obtained; Simultaneously the seafood waste could be disposed in an ecofriendly manner.