Chitin and its derivatives are attracting great interest in cosmetic and cosmeceutical fields, thanks to their antioxidant and antimicrobial properties, as well as their biocompatibility and biodegradability. The classical source of chitin, crustacean waste, is no longer sustainable and fungi, a possible alternative, have not been exploited at an industrial scale yet. On the contrary, the breeding of bioconverting insects, especially of the Diptera Hermetia illucens, is becoming increasingly popular worldwide. Therefore, their exoskeletons, consisting of chitin as a major component, represent a waste stream of facilities that could be exploited for many applications. Insect chitin, indeed, suggests its application in the same fields as the crustacean biopolymer, because of its comparable commercial characteristics. This review reports several cosmetic and cosmeceutical applications based on chitin and its derivatives. In this context, chitin nanofibers and nanofibrils, produced from crustacean waste, have proved to be excellent cosmeceutical active compounds and carriers of active ingredients in personal care. Consequently, the insect-based chitin, its derivatives and their complexes with hyaluronic acid and lignin, as well as with other chitin-derived compounds, may be considered a new appropriate potential polymer to be used in cosmetic and cosmeceutical fields.

Strawberry is a perishable fruit, susceptible to development of rot by a range of fungi, in particular Botrytis cinerea. Chitosan represents an alternative to agrochemicals for improving shelf-life and fighting fungal pathogens. A chitosan-based coating derived from pupal exuviae of Hermetia illucens has been recently formulated for improving shelf-life of strawberry stored at 4 °C and mixed condition (4 °C and room temperature). The effects of a decolored (PEDEC) and not decolored (PEND) chitosan from the black soldier fly were evaluated and compared with commercial chitosans from crustaceans (CCs), in vitro and in vivo. An inhibition/reduction of fungal growth and a disturbance of normal fungal morphology were observed, being MIC of 0.5 mg mL^-1 and 1 mg mL^-1 and growth inhibition of 70 % and 4% for PEND and PEDEC, respectively. Both edible coatings distributed via aerograph showed equal or better potential application than CCs in controlling B. cinerea in strawberry post-harvest treated. Different effects for chitosans depended on their different molecular weight and deacetylation degree distributions, and the presence or absence of melanin pigments in their structure. PEND could act directly against the fungus, with effects predominantly associated with fungitoxic properties; PEDEC might principally provide viable alternatives, such as the elicitation of biochemical defense responses in fruits, for example through total phenols, in particular the flavonoids.

In this study, the electrophoretic deposition (EPD) technique was used to prepare chitosan-based coatings with enhanced antibacterial activity suitable for bone implant applications. We designed, prepared, and compared the physico-chemical and biological properties of coatings obtained with commercial chitosan, chitosan enriched with silver nanoparticles, and chitosan obtained from insects. With the aim to consider the issue of sustainability, silver nanoparticles were directly prepared in the chitosan solution by laser ablation via a liquid technique, avoiding the use of chemicals and limiting the production of wastes. Moreover, a sustainable source of chitosan, such as Hermetia Illucens exuviae, was considered. The EPD process was optimized by adjusting parameters like voltage and deposition time to achieve ideal coating thickness and adhesion. The prepared films were characterized by spectroscopic and microscopic techniques such as SEM, XRD, and FTIR. Antimicrobial tests against E. coli and S. aureus revealed that silver nanoparticles enhanced the antibacterial properties of the polymer, whereas the biological evaluation using the WST8 test on MG63 human osteoblast-like cells showed that all coatings were non-toxic. Finally, chitosan obtained from insect showed comparable properties with respect to the commercial polymer, suggesting it could replace seafood-derived chitosan in biomedical applications, whereas the Ag@chitosan composite demonstrated superior antibacterial activity without compromising its biocompatibility.

In this study electrophoretic deposition (EPD) technique is used to prepare chitosan-based coatings with enhanced antibacterial activity suitable for bone implants applications. We designed, prepared and compared physic-chemical and biological properties of coatings obtained with commercial chitosan, chitosan enriched with silver nanoparticles and chitosan obtained from insects. With the aim to consider the sustainability issue, silver nanoparticles were directly prepared in the chitosan solution by laser ablation in liquid technique, avoiding the use of chemicals and limiting the production of wastes. Moreover, a sustainable source of chitosan such as Hermetia Illucens exuviae was considered. The EPD process was optimized by adjusting parameters like voltage and deposition time to achieve ideal coating thickness and adhesion. The prepared films were characterized by spectroscopic and microscopic techniques such as SEM, XRD, and FTIR. Antimicrobial tests against E. coli and S. aureus revealed that silver nanoparticles enhanced the antibacterial properties of the polymer, whereas biological evaluation using the WST8 test on MG63 human osteoblasts-like cells showed that all coatings are non-toxic. Finally, chitosan obtained from insect showed comparable properties with respect to the commercial polymer, suggesting it could replace seafood-derived chitosan in biomedical applications, whereas the Ag@chitosan composite demonstrated superior antibacterial activity without compromising its biocompatibility.