Fungal and Microalgal Chitin: Structural Differences, Functional Properties, and Biomedical Applications

Chitin is a natural fiber found in mushroom cell walls and algae that can be extracted and used for medical applications like wound healing and drug delivery. Traditional chitin from shellfish shells contains heavy metals and requires harsh chemicals to extract, but chitin from mushrooms and algae is cleaner, more sustainable, and can be grown year-round. Scientists have developed environmentally friendly extraction methods using special solvents and enzymes that preserve the chitin’s useful properties. This makes fungal and algal chitin promising alternatives for creating biomedical materials and packaging.