<p>Chitosan, a versatile biopolymer, can be extracted from chitin, which is predominantly present in silkworm pupae waste. Chitosan was extracted from silkworm pupae via defatting with n-hexane, demineralisation with dilute HCl, deproteination with NaOH, and deacetylation by alkali treatment. The extracted chitosan’s functional group was compared with that of commercially available chitosan. The crystallinity index of the silkworm pupae chitosan was 31.2%. The surface morphology of the pupae chitosan was found to be smooth, and flat, with fractures and pore. The degree of deacetylation, moisture content, water binding, and fat binding capacity of the silkworm pupae chitosan were found to be 79.76 ± 0.70%, 16.86 ± 0.49%, 725 ± 25%, and 300 ± 20%, respectively. The biocompatible and non-toxic nature of extracted pupae chitosan was proven by cytocompatibility analysis with the 3T3 cell line of mouse fibroblasts. The extracted chitosan was used along with commercially available chitosan to fabricate films by incorporating phytic acid. The films had significant functional groups as observed for chitosan, along with better thermal degradation rates and mechanical strength. The synthesised films were found to improve the shelf-life of green chillies by reducing the colour change and decreasing weight loss by 10.3 ± 0.3% for chillies wrapped in silkworm pupae chitosan acid after 8 days, depicting their suitable role for agricultural applications. Thus, the partial incorporation of chitosan extracted from silkworm pupae waste along with the commercial one could potentially reduce the cost and have improved properties, implying valorisation of sericin waste.</p> Graphical abstract