The deproteinization is a major constraint for chitin recovery from crustacean wastes. In this work, high protein removal was achieved through the combination of two-stage solid state culture by Lactobacillus brevis and Rhizopus oligosporus. The first stage was carried out employing a heterofermentative starter (L. brevis) using glucose as sole carbon source. For the second stage, the inoculum levels of the food grade fungi were 10(3), 10(5) or 10(7) spores/ml The highest deproteinization (96% +/- 0.43%) and demineralization (66.45 +/- 2.14%) were achieved with 10(7) spores/ml. The protein removal was attributed to acid and neutral proteolytic activities, which highest activity during culture was determined at pH 5. Lactic acid was the main organic acid produced along with acetic, succinic and oxalic acids. The released protein hydrolysates (120.56 mg protein/g) displayed M-w range between 25 x 10(3) and 11 x 10(3) Da. The highest concentration of astaxanthin extracted from liquid was 8.78 mu g/g. Protein hydrolysates and astaxanthin showed radical scavenging activity with I-C50 of 1.13 +/- 0.03 mg/g and 2.02 +/- 0.01 mu g/g, respectively. The purified chitin presented molecular weight of 1313 x 10(3) Da, preserving high crystalline index (I-CR of 87.5%) and 93.67% degree of acetylation.