Evaluation of growth regulatory effect of chitin and chitin based derivatives extracted from fresh water crustaceans

The present investigation was carried out to investigate the natural growth supplement in fields as an alternative source instead of synthetic and traditional fertilizers. Since the traditional and synthetic fertilizers used in fields causes toxicity in the grains etc. and thus are lethal to the lives of flora and fauna that resides within the soil and also to humans. The study thus focused to explore some natural products/molecules which can be utilized as growth regulator and supplement in the fields which shows no toxicity. In the present investigation, natural polysaccharide viz. chitin was extracted from fresh water crustaceans and its derivatives (chitosan) was prepared by the process of deacetylation by the treatment of chitin with 40% (w/v) NaOH at 120oC for 3h. The growth regulating effect of crustacean waste, extracted chitin and chitin based derivatives viz. chitosan on mung bean seeds was observed by the treatment of sterilized mung bean seeds with these products for 12 h to 96 h. Non-treated seeds with these products was used as negative control while seeds treated with standard chitin (as procured from Hi-Media Pvt. Ltd., Mumbai, India) was used as the reference positive control. The results were found to be very surprising as the seeds treated with chitin and chitin based derivatives showed significant germination. It was found that seeds treated with crustacean waste and standard chitin promotes prominent growth regulating activities with the passage of time. It was found that 50% germination in mung bean seeds (treated with crustacean waste and standard chitin) occurred after 96h in comparison to standard; extracted chitin and chitosan treated seeds (33%).