<![CDATA[Tilapia fish scales are among the fishery wastes that have not been optimally utilized, even though they have economic potential when processed into chitosan. Chitosan is a poly(2-amino-2-deoxy-β-D-glucose) obtained by deacetylation of chitin, with a high molecular weight ranging from 100 to 1.200 kDa, making it difficult to dissolve in water. To increase its solubility, chitosan can be depolymerized into oligochitosan with a lower molecular weight, around 5 – 10 kDa. This depolymerization process is influenced by temperature, time, and concentration factors. This study aims to determine the optimal conditions for the depolymerization of chitosan from tilapia fish scales using a central composite design (CCD). The stages of chitosan production include demineralization, deproteinization, and deacetylation, yielding a white powder with a molecular weight of 264.214 kDa and a degree of deacetylation of 74.24%. Based on CCD optimization, the optimal conditions for the depolymerization of tilapia fish scale chitosan were 3.6 M H2O2, 50 °C, and 2 hours, yielding a molecular weight of 3093 kDa. Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) characterization showed a peak shift from wave number 3267 cm-1 to 3303 cm-1. Oligochitosan also showed 100% solubility in water at neutral pH]]>
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