Abstract

Interest in insects as a source of valuable biologically active substances has significantly increased over the past few years. Insects serve as an alternative source of chitin, which forms up to 40% of their exoskeleton. Chitosan, a deacetylated derivative of chitin, attracts the attention of scientists due to its unique properties (sorption, antimicrobial, film-forming, wound healing). Furthermore, some insect species such as Hermetia illucens are unique and can be used to obtain chitin- and chitosan-melanin complexes in the later stages of ontogenesis. Due to the synergistic effect, chitosan and melanin can enhance each other’s biological activity, providing a wide range of potential applications.

Keywords:Chitin; Chitosan; Melanin; Complex; Insect; Black soldier fly; Hermetia Illucens