摘要：Chitosan is a biopolymer with numerous applications in food, medical, pharmaceutical and environmental fields, and it can be obtained from chitin deacetylation present in fungal biomass. This study evaluated the fungal biomass deacetylation process with variations in sodium hydroxide solution concentrations, biomass proportions, process time and equipment. The fungal biomass was produced by Aspergillus niger fungus DAOM in potato dextrose broth medium via submerged bioprocesses. Deacetylation of the biomass was conducted using 4% (1:40 m v -1 ) NaOH solution in autoclave and 45% (1:20 m v -1 ) in stirred reactor. The degree of deacetylation for both techniques was similar (>60%). However, the autoclave process presented higher yield (14.29%). In addition, the functional groups presented similarities between the biopolymer samples, evidencing groups of hydroxyls, primary and secondary amines. Therefore, the process using 4% NaOH in autoclave contributed to minimize the negative environmental impacts of chitosan production.
