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Alginate Extraction

Alginates exist in seawater as insoluble mixed salts such as calcium, sodium, and magnesium salts. The properties of alginate vary from species to species, so choosing which algae to harvest depends on the availability of a particular species and the properties of the alginate they contain. Alginate is a vital polysaccharide widely used in the food, textile, printing, and pharmaceutical industries for its viscosity-increasing and gelling properties. The primary commercial sources of alginate are Ascophyllum, Durvillaea, Ecklonia, Laminaria, Lessonia, Macrocystis, Sargassum, and Turbinaria. The most important of these are kelp, Macrocystis, and Ascophyllum nodosum. Alginate biopolymers can represent up to 40% of brown seaweed dry matter. The amount and quality of alginate in brown seaweed depends on many factors, such as the algae, harvest season, tissue type, and age. The principle of extracting alginate from seaweed is to convert all alginate into sodium salt, dissolve it in water, and then filter to remove seaweed residue. The alginate must then be recovered from the aqueous solution. At CD BioSciences, our scientists can provide extraction services of alginate for our customers.

Fig. 1 Chemical structure of alginate. M - mannuronate residues, G - guluronate residues.Fig. 1 Chemical structure of alginate. M - mannuronate residues, G - guluronate residues. (Hay I D, et al., 2013)

Our Services

CD BioSciences has established a supply chain of stable procurement of high-quality seaweed, and will also provide technical services or cooperation to customers by providing its state-of-the-art equipment, proprietary licenses, and its own expertise. Our services are listed as follows, but are not limited to:

  • Extraction service of sodium alginate
  • Extraction service of calcium alginate
  • Extraction service of potassium alginate
  • Extraction service of ammonium alginate
  • Extraction service of propylene glycol alginate
  • Chemical composition evaluation service of alginate
  • Antioxidant activity evaluation service of alginate
  • Emulsification index evaluation service of alginate
  • Intrinsic viscosity evaluation service of alginate
  • Characterization service of alginate

Our Extraction Methods of Alginate

Our Extraction Methods of Alginate
  • Microwave-assisted extraction of alginate
  • Ultrasound assisted extraction of alginate
  • Calcium coagulation-ion exchange method for alginate extraction
  • Calcium coagulation-acidification method for alginate extraction
  • Acid coagulation-acidification method for alginate extraction
  • Enzymolysis method for alginate extraction
  • Ultrafiltration method for alginate extraction

Routine Extraction of Alginate

Typically, the protocol for alginate extraction consists of 5 steps: (1) alginate acidification, (2) alkaline extraction with sodium carbonate (Na2CO3), (3) solid/liquid separation, (4) precipitation and (5) drying.

CD BioSciences is a professional service provider for the marine biology industry. Our extraction services of alginate can ensure that the most suitable methods and techniques are selected for your project. We provide our customers with the most precise ingredient data and highly informed process expertise. Our team of biomass experts plays a key role in the formulation, optimization and commercial evaluation of biomass value-added processes in industry and academia. If necessary, please feel free to contact us.

Reference

  • Hay I D, Rehman Z U, Moradali M F, et al. Microbial alginate production, modification and its applications[J]. Microbial biotechnology, 2013, 6(6): 637-650.

Please kindly note that our services can only be used to support research purposes (Not for clinical use).

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