An enzymic method for the determination of chitin and chitosan in fungal cell walls.

ABSTRACT

The free and N-acetyl glucosamine contents, serving as a measure of the amounts of chitosan and chitin respectively, were determined in the chitinase hydrolysates of the cell wall of a wild strain of Neurospora crassa. Chitinase, obtained from cultures of Serratia marcescens, could hydrolyse the cell wall completely apart from being capable of hydrolysing preparations of chitin and chitosan. The free and N-acetyl glucosamines, released by chitinase hydrolysis, were determined by a modified Morgan-Elson reaction carried out in the presence and absence of acetic anhydride. The method is capable of estimating chitin and chitosan contents in as little as 100 μg of cell wall material.