I. Mercy Esther, V. Sukumaran, N. Chandrakala, and S. Velavan
Abstract
Shrimp shell waste generated from seafood processing industries represents an abundant marine biomass rich in proteins, chitin, lipids, minerals, and diverse bioactive metabolites. The present study aimed to profile the bioactive compounds present in shrimp shell waste using Gas ChromatographyâMass Spectrometry (GC-MS) analysis and to evaluate their prospective biological activities and possible role in green nanoparticle synthesis. Twenty-three compounds were identified in the extract by GC-MS analysis. The prevailing compounds are Hexadecanoic acid, methyl ester, 9,12-Octadecadienoic acid, methyl ester, Oleic acid, methyl ester, Octadecanoic acid, methyl ester, 1,5-Hexadien-3-ol, Pilocarpine, Caprolactone oxime, and 3,7,7-Trimethyl-8-(2-methyl-propenyl)-bicyclo[4.2.0]oct-2-ene. Many of the identified compounds are known to possess antioxidant, antimicrobial, anti-inflammatory, anticancer, and antifungal properties. Functional groups such as hydroxyl, carbonyl, amino, and carboxyl groups present in these metabolites may contribute significantly to the reduction, stabilization, and capping of metallic nanoparticles during biosynthesis. The study highlights the significance of shrimp shell waste as a sustainable marine resource for nanobiotechnology and biomedical applications. The findings of this study provide valuable insight into the mechanistic role of marine-derived metabolites in nanoparticle synthesis and their potential applications in pharmaceutical, biomedical, agricultural, and environmental fields.