Expanding the value chain – biological extraction of chitosan for insect-based waste bioconversion
In collaboration with Dr. Sabine Gruber and her ChisMeT group at FH Campus Vienna and LIVINfarms Vienna.
Project details
Funding agency: Austrian Research Promotion Agency (FFG) Period: Mar. 2022 - Jun. 2024 Budget: 344,903 € Function: PI
Description
In recent years, insects like the black soldier fly (Hermetia illucens) have become valuable for converting biomass into proteins, lipids, and chitin for the feed and food industry. This process uses organic residues, from agro-industrial by-products to animal manure, effectively closing the loop in food and feed production. The rearing residues also serve as efficient organic fertilizers. Supported by the EU commission and contributing to the Green Deal, this technology shows promise in saving organic resources and reducing reliance on unsustainable, imported feeds. Our project aims to integrate the production of chitosan, a valuable biopolymer, into this waste valorization process. Chitosan has potential applications in agriculture, wastewater treatment, sanitation, and pharmaceutics. We will work with LIVINfarms AgriFood GmbH to enhance chitosan production from insect-based resources. We will analyze amino acids and N-acetylglucosamine content in larvae and process the residual biomass to recover high-quality protein and chitin. The dried biomass will be delivered to the ChisMeT Group at FH Campus Wien for chitin and chitosan extraction using enzymatic and chemical methods. We will leverage knowledge from previous projects and identify new enzymes to optimize the bioconversion process. Dr. Thomas Klammsteiner at the University of Innsbruck will perform RNA-Seq transcriptome analysis to find novel target enzymes. The quality of the products will be assessed using bioassays to determine biocidal efficacy.
This proof-of-concept study aims to expand the product portfolio of LIVINfarms AgriFood GmbH and enhance the sustainability of chitosan production for various industrial applications.
References
2025
Chitosan obtained from black soldier fly larval cuticles expands the value chain and is effective as a biocontrol agent to combat plant pathogens
Carolina Escobar Rodríguez, Valeriia Zaremska, Thomas Klammsteiner, Ioannis Kampatsikas, Nils Münstermann, Oliver Weichold, and Sabine Gruber
The industrial use of certain insects, such as the black soldier fly (BSF, Hermetia illucens), has become a burgeoning way of converting residual biomass into a valuable source of biomolecules for the feed and food industry. Here, the integration of a valuable step as an upcycling technology using biological waste from the 5th instar BSF larvae processing as a source of bioactive chitosan was explored. The goal is to pave the way for sustainable chitosan production from insect-based resources in addition to proteins, lipids, and fertilizers. The macronutrient profile of the larval waste was evaluated for chitosan extraction. After homogenization and mechanical separation of the larval pulp, enzyme-assisted extraction of chitosan from the chitin-rich matrix was performed using different combinations of commercially available proteases and lipases, followed by chemical deacetylation. The antifungal efficacy of the recovered chitosan varied depending on the extracted product and tested fungal plant pathogens. Furthermore, the plant priming effect of chitosan on Beta vulgaris promoted plant vigor and disease resistance. Seed coating resulted in improved germination and primary root growth. Thus, the extraction of chitosan from BSF larval cuticles offers an optimistic outlook for expanding the technological competence of the insect upcycling industries.
@article{escobar_euchis_2024,title={Chitosan obtained from black soldier fly larval cuticles expands the value chain and is effective as a biocontrol agent to combat plant pathogens},volume={349},copyright={http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/},issn={0144-8617},url={https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0144861724012499},doi={10.1016/j.carbpol.2024.123023},language={en},number={Part B},urldate={2025-02-01},journal={Carboyhdrate Polymers},author={Escobar Rodríguez, Carolina and Zaremska, Valeriia and Klammsteiner, Thomas and Kampatsikas, Ioannis and Münstermann, Nils and Weichold, Oliver and Gruber, Sabine},month=feb,year={2025},publisher={Elsevier},keywords={Biocontrol, Black soldier fly, Chitosan, Insect upcycling},pages={123023},dimensions=true,}
