CHAPTER ONE

ABSTRACT

This study was conducted to test the effectiveness of chitin on crab shells as an

alternative source of flour. Flour is known to be a good substitute for rice. The global economic

crisis became the major cause of price hike of flour in the world market. Thus, there is a need to

find an alternative source of flour which is affordable and safe for human consumption.

Crab shells which were collected from different household in Sta. Rita, Pinamalayan,

Oriental Mindoro, were pulverized.

It was found out that the crab shells which were grounded into pulverous powder or

deacetylated powder could be a good substitute for flour by using this flour( from crab shells) in

making hot pancake.

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 INTRODUCTION

Flour which is known to be a good substitute for rice had been widely used in different

parts of the world. In our country, Philippines, we often import flour from other countries not

only for home consumption but also as our source of livelihood especially now a days by which

our country is experiencing food shortage.

Last year, our country had been affected by global economic crisis which we feel still

these days. This study aimed to help not only our families but also the economy of our country in

terms of providing affordable and nutritional foods.

Flour is a powder is a powder made of cereal grains or roots. It is the main ingredients of

bread, which is a staple food for many civilizations, making the availability of adequate supplies

of flour, a major economic and political issue at various times throughout history.

Flour contains a high proportion of starches, which are complex carbohydrates also

known as polysaccharides.

Likewise, this aims to compare the effectiveness between pulverized crab shell and

commercial flour.

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 SIGNIFICANCE OF THE STUDY

The used of pulverized crab shell in this study, will help to find another source of flour

and will decrease the import of flour if used widely. This study will also be useful in terms of

providing our community to lessen the waste from different household and seafood restaurants.

STATEMENT OF THE PROBLEM

This study aims to compare the effectiveness between the pulverized crab shell and the

commercial flour.

It also sought to answer the following questions:

1. Is there a significant difference on effectiveness and taste between pure pulverized crab

shell and commercial flour?

2. Is pulverized crab shell safe to eat?

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 HYPOTHESIS

The following hypothesis was formulated based on the problem:

1. There is a significant difference on the effectiveness and taste between the pulverized

crab shell and the commercial flour.

2. There is no significant difference.

3. Pulverized crab shell is safe to eat and safe for human consumption.

SCOPE AND LIMITATION

The span of time in this study lasted for about one week including the preparation and

experimentation.

It covers only the deacetylation and application of crab shell flour as an effective

substitute for commercial flour. It cannot affect anyone who will consume this because of its

non-toxic and non-allergic properties.

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 DEFINITION OF TERMS

CHITIN = main component of crab shell.

CHITOSAN = a derivative of chitin, used in water-waste treatment

CRAB SHELL = major material used in this experiment. It is the hard part of the crab which is

also known as the carapace.

DEACETYLATION = process of removing the shells from crab and the shells are then

grounded into a pulverous powder.

FLOUR = it is the finely grounded bolted of meat and wheat, as that used in baking.

POLYMER = a compound of high molecular weight derived either by the addition of many

smaller molecules, as polyethylene, or by the condensation of many smaller molecules with the

elimination of water, alcohol, or the like, as nylon.

POLYSACCHARIDE = a polymeric carbohydrate contained by flour and crab shell.

PULVERIZED = to reduce to dust or powder, as by pounding or grinding.

STARCH = a white, tasteless, solid carbohydrate, (C6H1 0O5)n, occurring in the form of

minute granules in the seeds, tubers, and other parts of plants, and forming an important

constituent of rice, corn, wheat, beans, potatoes, and many other vegetable foods.

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 CHAPTER TWO

REVIEW OF LITERATURE

CRABS

Crabs are decapods crustaceans of the infraorder Brachyura, which typically have a very

short projecting “tail”, or where the reduced abdomen is certainly hidden under the thorax. They

are generally covered with a thick exoskeleton, and armed with a single pair of chelae (claws).

There are about (The infraorder Brachyura) 6,793 species known. Crabs are found in all of the

world’s oceans. Additionally, there are also many freshwater and terrestrial crabs, particularly in

tropical regions. Crabs vary in size from pea crab, only a few millimeters wide, to the Japanese

crab, with a leg span of up to 4 meters.

CHITIN

Chitin is a long-chain polymer of N-acetylglucosamine, a derivative of glucose and is

found in many places throughout the world. It is the main component of the cell wall of fungi,

the exoskeletons of arthropods, such as crustaceans (e.g., crabs, lobster and shrimps) and insects,

including ants, beetles and butterflies, the radula of mollusks and the beaks of cephalopods,

including squid and octopuses. Chitin is alsoproven to be useful for several medical and

industrial purposes. Chitin is a biological substance which may be compared to the

polysaccharide cellulose.

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 Chitin is a polysaccharide; it is synthesized from units of N-acetylglucosamine (more

completely, N-acetyl-D-glucos-2-amine). These units form covalent β-1,4 linkages (similar to

the linkages between glucose units forming cellulose). Chitin may therefore be described as

cellulose with one hydroxyl group on each monomer substituted with an acetyl amine group.

This allows for increased hydrogen bonding between adjacent polymers, giving the chitin-

polymer matrix increased strength.

A cicada sheds its chitinous exoskeleton.In its unmodified form, chitin is translucent,

pliable, resilient and quite tough. In arthropods, however, it is often modified, becoming

embedded in a hardened proteinaceous matrix, which forms much of the exoskeleton. In its pure

form it is leathery, but when encrusted in calcium carbonate it becomes much harder. The

difference between the unmodified and modified forms can be seen by comparing the body wall

of a caterpillar (unmodified) to a beetle (modified).

Chitin is used industrially in many processes. It is used in water purification, and as an

additive to thicken and stabilize foods and pharmaceuticals. It also acts as a binder in dyes,

fabrics, and adhesives. Industrial separation membranes and ion-exchange resins can be made

from chitin. Processes to size and strengthen paper employ chitin.

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CHITOSAN

In agriculture, chitosan is used primarily as a natural seed treatment and plant growth

enhancer, and as a ecologically friendly biopesticide substance that boosts the innate ability of

plants to defend themselves against fungal infections.[3] The natural biocontrol active ingredient,

chitin/chitosan, are found in the shells of crustaceans, such as lobsters, crabs, and shrimp, and

many other organisms including insects and fungi. It is one of the most abundant bio-gradable

materials in the world. Degraded molecules of chitin/chitosan exist in soil and water.

Chitosan is frequently sold in tablet form at health stores as a 'fat attractor': It is supposed

to have the capability of attracting fat from the digestive system and expelling it from the body

so that users can, it is claimed, lose weight without eating less. However, some scientific

research suggests that these claims are likely without substance. At best, unmodified chitosan

would remove roughly 10 calories per day from a person's diet

Chitosan is a partially deacetylated polymer of N-acetyl glucosamine. It is essentially a

natural, water-soluble, derivative of cellulose with unique properties. Chitosan is usually

prepared from chitin (2 acetamido-2-deoxy β-1,4-D-glucan) and chitin has been found in a wide

range of natural sources (crustaceans, fungi, insects, annelids, molluscs, coelenterata etc.)

However chitosan is only manufactured from crustaceans (crab and crayfish) primarily because a

large amount of the crustacean exoskeleton is available as a by product of food processing.

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POLYSACCHARIDES

Polysaccharides are the complex carbohydrates. They are made up of chains of

monosaccharides (the sugars) which are linked together by glycosidic bonds, which are formed

by the condensation reaction. The linkage of monosaccharides into chains creates chains of

greatly varying length, ranging from chains of just two monosaccharides, which makes a

disaccharide to the polysaccharides, which consists of many thousands of the sugars.

POLYMERIC CARBOHYDRATES

Complex carbohydrates are polymers of the simple sugars. In other words, the complex

carbohydrates are long chains of simple sugar units bonded together (for this reason the complex

carbohydrates are often referred to as polysaccharides). The potato we discussed earlier actually

contains the complex carbohydrate starch. Starch is a polymer of the monosaccharide glucose:

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 CHAPTER THREE

METHODOLOGY

This chapter presents the method of research utilized in this study, the gathering of data

and the procedures followed in the experimentations.

MATERIALS

Crab shells were collected from different households in Sta. Rita, Pinamalayan, Oriental

Mindoro. Materials such as mortar and pestle, stove, basin, and pan were also used in this study.

Commercial flour was also used in this study.

METHODS

• Drying and Pulverizing of Crab Shells

The collected crab shells were thoroughly cleaned with water and dried them by

heating it using pan for 30 minutes. The researcher waited for another 15 minutes for

cooling of heated crab shells. Using mortar and pestle, the researcher grounded into a

pulverous powder the crab shells until it was thoroughly pulverized.

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• Application of Pulverized Crab Shell

The researcher tested the pulverized crab shell by making hot cakes – the Filipino

term for pan cakes. 250 grams of pulverized crab shells was mixed with ½ cup of water

and 1 egg. It took 5 minutes to fry it.

(1/2 cup of water can be substituted with ½ cup of evaporated milk).

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 TABLE 1:

COMPARISON OF COMMERCIAL FLOUR AND PULVERIZED CRAB

SHELL FLOUR

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BRAND OF FLOUR CONTENTS PROPERTIES
A. Commercial flour High proportion of Polymeric carbohydrate

starches/polysaccharides structures

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b. Pulverized Crab Shell Chitosan- polysaccharides Long-chain polymer of a N-

Flour acetylglucosamine;

polysaccharides; natural, non-

toxic and non-allergic.

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 FLOW CHART

Deacetylation of
Crab Shells

Collection of crab shells.

Cleaning of collected crab

shells.

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 Drying of crab shells
through heating process.

Grounding of crab shells

into a pulverized powder.

CRAB SHELL
FLOUR
CHAPTER FOUR

FINDINGS, CONCLUSION, AND RECOMMENDATIONS

CONCLUSION

Based on the study, the researchers concluded that pulverized crab shell can be of good

and effective substitute for flour.

FINDINGS

Flour and pulverized crab shell, both consist of polysaccharides which are one kind of

polymeric carbohydrate.

Pulverized crab shells have chitin which is a kind of polysaccharide.

RECOMMENDATION

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 The researcher recommends the following:

1. To have further studies regarding with this topic.

2. To conduct researches about the importance of chitin even in industrial and medical

application.

3. Further studies if pulverized crab shell can be good for a big scale production.

BIBLIOGRAPHY

WEBSITES:

http://www.encyclopedia.com

http://www.wikianswers.com

http://www.wikipedia.org

BOOKS:

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Grolier’s Encyclopedia

Encarta 2007

Collection of crab shells.

Cleaning of crab shells.

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Pulverized crab shells.

Hotcake using crab shell powder.

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