Biomedical Applications of Chitin, Chitosan, Their Derivatives, and Processing By-Products from Fish Waste

The use of natural resources has increased by 254% from 1970 to 2017 globally. Similarly, the consumption of fish and fish products has also gained popularity over the last few years. As per available records and data, it has been projected that about 75% of the fish biomass is discarded as biological waste which can be explored, recycled, and processed for further validation. Fish waste as a rich source of enzymes, bioactive peptides, polymers, and many other bioactive compounds has been studied by several researchers in the last decades. In this chapter, we would focus only on chitin, chitosan, its derivatives, and processing by-products in advanced applications dimensions. They have a huge potential for use in the field of biomedical engineering, and in this article, we will concentrate on their usage in the areas of growth factor delivery, cancer diagnostics, cartilage and tendon repair, dentistry, drug administration, gene delivery, and bone tissue creation. Besides, they have also got used in food and cosmetic industries, nutraceuticals, and bioremediation.