To determine the potential for the production of chitosan with physiochemical properties from a fungal source, growth studies were conducted using Mucor rouxii. Growth of the organism under a variety of conditions was studied to determine the effects on polymer molecular-weight distributions and biomass production. Modifications of processing protocols were also evaluated to examine the effects of yields of chitosan extracted from the fungal cell wall as well as molecular-weight distribution. This represents the first such study where these factors were correlated to the yield and molecular-weight distribution of chitosan. Of the growth parameters evaluated, length of incubation, culture volume, source of inorganic salt in defined medium, and medium component concentration in complex medium had an effect on biomass and MW distributions. Processing parameters affecting the amount of chitosan extracted were the type and strength of acid and the homogenization of cell wall material prior to refluxing. Overall, weight average molecular weights of chitosan varied up to 8-fold in studies relating to fungal age, while up to 2-fold changes in molecular weight were affected by pH, medium type, and culture vessel size.
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