Not such a selfish shellfish

Finding new pharmaceuticals is never an easy task, but scientists from Cuba think they may have a rich new source - the humble lobster.

Researchers from the University of Havana have discovered that chitin and chitosan - structural polymers found in lobster shells – have healing properties.

Professor Carlos Andrés Peniche Covas, head of the Biopolymers Research Group at the University of Havana said: “Our study starts at the extraction of these compounds from polluting waste of the Cuban fishing industry and it goes on to cover these products’ characterisation. We also study their properties, the development of new by-products and the testing of their practical applications in areas useful for this Caribbean country, such as agriculture and biomedicine.”

The researchers’ work has led to the development of a procedure to obtain surgical materials. It involves using chitosan to cover surgical threads and lint, into which antibiotics are injected. By doing this the team obtain medical materials with both antimicrobial and healing properties and, as they are covered in a natural polymer, with a higher degree of biocompatibility.

The team say that the use of lobster shells is a good environmentally friendly opportunity for Cuba as its fishing industry generates great amounts of lobster waste.

Having discovered how to extract the compound from lobster shells, the team decided not to limit its uses to medicine. In cooperation with the Cuban National Centre for Agricultural and Livestock Health, they developed a seed coating to boosted farming yields.

In trials, tomato seeds were coated with chitosan and showed significantly higher growth speed and more successful germination when compared to non-treated seeds.

Professor Peniche said: “Apart from other highly interesting properties, chitosan and chitin do not produce polluting substances, they are non-toxic and biocompatible.”