Chitosan Extracted from Pulmonate Gastropod, Pila Mizoramensis, and Littorinea Littorea Shells Exhibit Ferric Reducing Power.

ABSTRACT
Chitosan, a linear polysaccharide derived from chitin, has garnered significant attention in recent
years due to its numerous applications in various fields, including biomedicine, agriculture, and
environmental science. This research study investigated the extraction and ferric reducing
antioxidant power (FRAP) of chitosan derived from three gastropod species: land snail
(Pulmonate gastropod), water snail (Pila mizoramensis), and periwinkle (Littorina littorea). The
chitin and chitosan was extracted using standard methods; and their relative ferric reducing
power was assayed using spectrophotometric method. The results showed that land snail shells
yielded the highest percentage of chitin (55.50 ± 0.020%) and chitosan (74.10 ± 0.030%), followed by periwinkle (chitin: 48.80 ± 0.030%; chitosan: 36.41 ± 0.029%) and water snail
(chitin: 47.20 ± 0.025%; chitosan: 62.20 ± 0.022%). The FRAP assay revealed distinct
concentration-dependent antioxidant profiles, with periwinkle chitosan exhibiting superior
antioxidant capacity (0.370 ± 0.005 abs at 3.00 mg/mL) compared to land snail (0.320 ± 0.015
abs at 1.00 mg/mL) and water snail chitosan (0.215 ± 0.003 abs at 4.00 mg/mL). All samples
showed reduced activity at 5.00 mg/mL, suggesting a common mechanism of activity limitation
at higher concentrations. These findings indicate that while land snails might be optimal for bulk
chitosan production, periwinkle-derived chitosan could be more suitable for antioxidant
applications, contributing valuable insights into alternative sources of this versatile biopolymer.