Extraction methods, medicinal and biological applications of chondroitin sulfate and glucosamine obtained from aquatic waste

Glycosaminoglycans have many bioactive properties, which make these compounds very valuable. Chondroitin sulfate is a sulfated glycosaminoglycan found in cartilage and other body parts. Sturgeon cartilage can be used as a source for isolating chondroitin sulfate. Moreover, this compound is isolated from cow, chicken, pig and aquatic cartilage. Today, glucosamine is applied along with chondroitin sulfate to produce nutraceuticals and improve joint diseases. It seems that the production of such health products in the country can have a suitable market demand; However, it is necessary to carry out research in the field of producing these nutraceuticals. Mainly, glucosamine is extracted from chitin, from the shell of marine crustaceans by chemical treatment. Hydrochloric acid is a standard chemical employed to hydrolyze chitin to glucosamine. In this review, we introduce the extraction methods of chondroitin sulfate and glucosamine from aquatic animals, as well as the bioactive and medicinal properties of these compounds. According to the obtained results, depending on the type of raw materials that used for extraction, the extraction process can undergo changes and the final product will have various quality. The usage of the combination of various enzymes can be suggested to extract glycosaminoglycans.