I am looking to depolymerize chitin into its component sugar, N-acetyl-D-glucosamine (NAG). This sugar will be used as a carbon and energy source for microbial fermentations. I have tried some chemical methods of depolymerization (treatment with acids) and have been unsuccessful in generating any fermentable NAG (I get D-glucosamine, because the NAG also gets deacetylated). Also, it seems like chitinase enzyme preparations available for purchase are very expensive. Does anyone have a protocol that can generate NAG from chitin in a relatively inexpensive fashion?

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