Title
Preparation and properties of chitin hydrogel applied as moisture-supporter for seed germination
Authors
TRANG THI CAM TRUONG, BAO TRI LE, NGA THI THUY DUONG, ANH PHUONG LE THI and KHOA DANG NGUYEN

Received October 8, 2023
Published Volume 58 Issue 3-4 March-April
Keywords chitin hydrogel, moisture support, shrimp shell, seafood processing by-product

Abstract
In this study, chitin was chemically extracted from shrimp shell, and then used for the development of a chitin hydrogel-based moisture supporter for hydroponic systems. Here, the chitin hydrogel was prepared at different concentrations of lithium chloride (LiCl), varying from 5 to 9%, in N,N-dimethylacetamide (DMAc) at room temperature. The results revealed that, while most characteristic functional groups of the chitin segment remained intact in all chitin hydrogels, higher levels of LiCl in DMAc led to a reduction in both crystalline index and equilibrium water content in the resulting chitin hydrogel. In a seed germination experiment, it was observed that the chitin hydrogel containing 5% LiCl concentration exhibited superior results in terms of root, stem, and leaf length, compared to other concentrations. Therefore, the chitin hydrogel was an effective moisture-supporter for seed germination and early plant development, compared conventional soil used as control. Moreover, SEM images illustrated that the chitin hydrogel possessed a pliable structure, indicating improved degradation when subjected to composting over a 15-day period.