中文摘要：

几丁质是自然界中含量仅次于纤维素的第二大类多糖,已从各种细菌、真菌、植物、哺乳动物和昆虫中分离并鉴定出来。随着近年来对几丁质及其衍生物的了解,发现此类多糖的物理化学特性在现实中有非常广泛的应用。几丁质酶是一类分解几丁质的酶,广泛分布于细菌、真菌、植物、哺乳动物、昆虫等物种中,并发挥着重要作用。近年来国内外工作者对这些不同来源的几丁质酶做了深入研究,为其在医学和农业上更广泛的应用提供理论基础。

英文摘要：

Chitin is the second largest polysaccharide aYter the cellulose in nature and it has been isolated and identified from a variety of bacteria, fungi, plants, mammals and insects. With the new understanding of chitin and its derivatives, their physical and chemical properties have been found possessing a broad possi- bility of applications inreality. Chitinase is a class of chitinolytic enzymes, which widely distributed in bacte- ria, fungi, plants, mammals and insects and plays important roles. Recent study of ehitinases derived from different sources have provided theoretical basis for its further application in medical and agricultural areas.