Alginates -  - E-Book

Alginates E-Book

0,0
190,99 €

-100%
Sammeln Sie Punkte in unserem Gutscheinprogramm und kaufen Sie E-Books und Hörbücher mit bis zu 100% Rabatt.

Mehr erfahren.
Beschreibung

Alginate is a hydrophilic, biocompatible, biodegradable, and relatively economical polymer generally found in marine brown algae. The modification in the alginate molecule after polymerization has shown strong potential in biomedical, pharmaceutical and biotechnology applications such as wound dressing, drug delivery, dental treatment, in cell culture and tissue engineering. Besides this, alginates have industrial applications too in the paper and food industries as plasticizers and additives.

The few books that have been published on alginates focus more on their biology. This current book focuses on the exploration of alginates and their modification, characterization, derivatives, composites, hydrogels as well as the new and emerging applications.

Sie lesen das E-Book in den Legimi-Apps auf:

Android
iOS
von Legimi
zertifizierten E-Readern

Seitenzahl: 514

Veröffentlichungsjahr: 2019

Bewertungen
0,0
0
0
0
0
0
Mehr Informationen
Mehr Informationen
Legimi prüft nicht, ob Rezensionen von Nutzern stammen, die den betreffenden Titel tatsächlich gekauft oder gelesen/gehört haben. Wir entfernen aber gefälschte Rezensionen.



Contents

Cover

Title page

Copyright page

Dedication

Preface

Part 1: Alginates—Introduction, Characterization and Properties

Chapter 1: Alginates: General Introduction and Properties

1.1 Introduction

1.2 History

1.3 Structure

1.4 Alginates and Their Properties

1.5 Sources

1.6 Biosynthesis of Bacterial Alginate

1.7 Conclusion

Acknowledgment

Conflict of Interests

References

Chapter 2: Alginates Production, Characterization and Modification

2.1 Introduction

2.2 Alginate: Production

2.3 Characterization of Physicochemical Properties of Alginate

2.4 Modification of Alginates

2.5 Future Perspectives

2.6 Conclusions

References

Chapter 3: Alginate: Recent Progress and Technological Prospects

3.1 Introduction

3.2 Structure

3.3 Sources

3.4 Characteristics of Alginate Salts

3.5 Properties

3.6 Applications

3.7 Future Perspectives

3.8 Advantages

3.9 Disadvantages

3.10 Conclusion

Acknowledgments

References

Chapter 4: Alginate Hydrogel and Aerogel

4.1 Introduction

4.2 Alginate Hydrogel

4.3 Alginate Aerogel

4.4 Future Perspectives

References

Part 2: Alginates in Biomedical Applications

Chapter 5: Alginate in Biomedical Applications

5.1 Introduction

5.2 Chemical Structure and Properties of Alginate

5.3 Types of Interaction of Alginate

5.4 Biomedical Application of Alginates

5.5 Future Perspective of the Use and Biomedical Applications

References

Chapter 6: Alginates in Pharmaceutical and Biomedical Application: A Critique

6.1 Introduction

6.2 Structure of Alginate

6.3 Different Types of Alginates Used in Pharmaceutical Industries

6.4 Properties of Alginate

6.5 Pathway for the Biosynthesis of Alginate

6.6 Regulatory Consideration of Alginate

6.7 Applications

6.8 Conclusion

References

Chapter 7: Alginates in Evolution of Restorative Dentistry

7.1 Introduction

7.2 Method of Alginate Extraction

7.3 Evolution of Alginate in Restorative Dentistry

7.4 The Art of Impression Taking Using Alginates

7.5 Conclusions

References

Chapter 8: Alginates in Drug Delivery

8.1 Introduction

8.2 Chemistry of Alginates

8.3 Pharmaceutical and Biomedical Chemistry of Alginates

8.4 Conclusions

Acknowledgments

References

Chapter 9: Alginate in Wound Care

9.1 Introduction

9.2 Sources and Synthesis of Alginate

9.3 Physicochemical Properties of the Alginate Biopolymer

9.4 Biomedical Applications of Alginate

9.5 Opportunities and Future Thrust

References

Chapter 10: Alginate-Based Biomaterials for Bio-Medical Applications

10.1 Introduction

10.2 Alginate: General Properties

10.3 Extraction and Preparation

10.4 Alginate Hydrogels

10.5 Photocross-Linking

10.6 Shape-Memory Alginate Scaffolds

10.7 Biodegradation of Alginate

10.8 Biomedical Application of Alginates

References

Part 3: Alginates in Food Industry

Chapter 11: Alginates for Food Packaging Applications

11.1 Introduction

11.2 Biopolymer in Food Industry

11.3 Alginates in Food Packaging

11.4 Biosynthesis of Alginate

11.5 Application of Alginate in Formation of Biofilm

11.6 Packaging Properties of Alginate

11.7 Effect of Alginate on the Quality of Food

11.8 Interaction between Food and Alginates

11.9 Environmental Effects on Alginate Packaging

11.10 Market Outlook

11.11 Conclusion

References

Chapter 12: Potential Application of Alginates in the Beverage Industry

12.1 Introduction

12.2 Alginate Source

12.3 Extraction of Alginates

12.4 Physical, Chemical and Functional Properties of Alginate

12.5 Uses as a Food Additive/Ingredient

12.6 Alginate as Stabilizer

12.7 As Encapsulating Wall Material

12.8 Conclusion

References

Chapter 13: Alginates in Comestibles

13.1 Introduction

13.2 Alginates in Agricultural Marketing

13.3 Use of Alginates in Food Industry

13.4 Use of Alginates for Pets

13.5 Effect of Dietary Alginates

13.6 Alginate Safety

13.7 Conclusion

References

Part 4: Alginates Future Prospects

Chapter 14: Alginates: Current Uses and Future Perspective

14.1 Introduction

14.2 Sources of Alginate Synthesis

14.3 Synthesis of Alginate

14.4 Properties of Alginates

14.5 Application of Alginates

14.6 Future Perspectives of Alginates

14.7 Conclusion

References

Index

End User License Agreement

Guide

Cover

Copyright

Table of Contents

Begin Reading

List of Illustrations

Chapter 1

Figure 1.1

Structure of ALG monomers (L-guluronic acid and D-mannuronic acid).

Figure 1.2

(a) Homopolymeric blocks of poly-β-1,4-D-mannuronic acid (MM blocks);...

Figure 1.3

Egg-box structure formation during the ionic gelation of sodium ALG [17]....

Figure 1.4

Gelation process of ALG [25]....

Figure 1.5

Structure of the ALG biosynthetic complex [33]....

Chapter 2

Figure 2.1

Oxidation of sodium alginate....

Figure 2.2

Copolymerization of sodium acrylate with sodium alginate....

Figure 2.3

Esterification of alginate....

Figure 2.4

Alginate cross-linking using epichlorohydrin....

Figure 2.5

Alginate cross-linking using glutaraldehyde....

Chapter 3

Figure 3.1

Alginate monomers in block distribution....

Figure 3.2

Procedure of alginate....

Chapter 6

Figure 6.1

Structure of alginate showing all four glycosidic linkages, i.e., linkage in MM,...

Figure 6.2

Sodium alginate extraction from brown algae....

Figure 6.3

Flow chart for the production of sodium alginate....

Chapter 7

Figure 7.1

Chemical structure of alginate (adopted from Skaugrud, Hagen [11])....

Figure 7.2

Cross-linking of alginate G blocks with calcium....

Figure 7.3

Method of sodium alginate extraction from brown seaweed (adapted from Sachan,...

Chapter 8

Figure 8.1

(a) Different forms of linear polymers of alginate [1]. (b) L-guluronic acid (G)...

Figure 8.2

Different mechanisms of drug release (reproduced with permission [9])....

Chapter 9

Figure 9.1

Bacterial alginate biosynthesis pathway [11]....

Figure 9.2

Structural characteristics of alginates: (a) alginate monomers, (b) chain...

Figure 9.3

Possible junction points in alginates. (a) GG/GG junctions, (b) MG/MG junctions,....

Figure 9.4

Cross-sectional images of regeneration of rat deep wound model stained by...

Figure 9.5

Swelling capacity of PEGDA/AA/alginate hydrogels with different monomer...

Figure 9.6

Photographic findings of wounds covered with ACF-HS or Kaltostat, and controls....

Figure 9.7

Histology of wound sections stained with hematoxylin and eosin. Epithelialization...

Chapter 10

Figure 10.1

The (1-4)-linkage of alternate M and G residues of alginate [11]....

Figure 10.2

The intermolecular cross-linkage of G residues of alginate with Ca2+ ions [12]....

Figure 10.3

Preparation and extraction of alginate from natural resources....

Figure 10.4

Images of optical microscopic C

2

C

12

myoblasts linked to the...

Figure 10.5

Images of confocal microscopic main human fibroblasts cultivated on alginate gels...

Chapter 11

Figure 11.1

Schematic overview of different biopolymers [15]....

Figure 11.2

Conformations of M- and G-blocks [20]....

Figure 11.3

Block structures of alginates. Poly-β-D-mannuronate (above) and...

Figure 11.4

Scanning electron micrograph of alginate cast film [17]....

Figure 11.5

Schematic cross-linking of alginate in the presence of calcium counterions...

Figure 11.6

Effect of antimicrobial plastic film on

Aspergillus niger.

Agar...

Chapter 12

Figure 12.1

Schematic representation of commercial extraction of alginates....

Figure 12.2

Production of propylene glycol alginate: Reaction between alginic acid and propylene...

Figure 12.3

Structural characteristics of alginates: (a) monomers, (b) chain conformation,...

Figure 12.4

Egg box complex of Ca

2+

ion and alginate (modified from [25])....

Figure 12.5

External ionic gelation through extrusion (Source: modified from [9])....

Figure 12.6

Internal setting method (Source: modified from [9])....

Figure 12.7

Microencapsulation of probiotic culture by external and internal ionic gelation...

Chapter 14

Figure 14.1

Structure of mannuronate, guluronate, and β (1→4) mannuronic acid...

Figure 14.2

Gene order of alginate synthesis genes—(a) biosynthesis genes, (b)...

List of Tables

Chapter 6

Table 6.1

Characteristics of sodium alginate recommended by the United States Pharmacopeia...

Table 6.2

List of pharmaceutical products based on ALG....

Chapter 7

Table 7.1

Studies on the effect of extended pour time on dimensional stability of the...

Chapter 9

Table 9.1

Alginate-based wound dressings commercially available in the market [21]....

Table 9.2

Different hydrophilic polymers for preparation of hydrogel [58]....

Chapter 11

Table 11.1

Application of alginate in food packaging....

Chapter 12

Table 12.1

Grades of alginates extracted from various seaweeds in their country of harvest...

Table 12.2

Solubility of alginates in various pH solutions [18]....

Table 12.3

Various applications of alginates and its purpose of use (Source: modified from...

Table 12.4

Permissible limit for alginates in different food products (Source: modified...

Table 12.5

Multilayer encapsulation of various probiotic microbes with multilayer wall...

Chapter 13

Table 13.1

Approval of alginates by various food committees....

Chapter 14

Table 14.1

Algae used for the extraction of alginates....

Pages

ii

iii

iv

v

xv

xvi

1

2

3

4

5

6

7

8

9

10

11

12

13

14

15

16

17

18

19

20

21

22

23

24

25

26

27

28

29

30

31

32

33

34

35

36

37

38

39

40

41

42

43

44

45

46

47

48

49

50

51

52

53

54

55

56

57

58

59

60

61

62

63

64

65

66

67

68

69

70

71

72

73

74

75

76

77

78

79

80

81

82

83

84

85

86

87

88

89

90

91

92

93

94

95

96

97

98

99

100

101

102

103

104

105

106

107

108

109

110

111

112

113

114

115

116

117

118

119

120

121

122

123

124

125

126

127

128

129

130

131

132

133

134

135

136

137

138

139

140

141

142

143

144

145

146

147

148

149

150

151

152

153

154

155

156

157

158

159

160

161

162

163

164

165

166

167

168

169

170

171

172

173

174

175

176

177

178

179

180

181

182

183

184

185

186

187

188

189

190

191

192

193

194

195

196

197

198

199

200

201

202

203

204

205

206

207

208

209

210

211

212

213

214

215

216

217

218

219

220

221

222

223

224

225

226

227

228

229

230

231

232

233

234

235

236

237

238

239

240

241

242

243

244

245

246

247

248

249

250

251

252

253

254

255

256

257

258

259

260

261

262

263

264

265

266

267

268

269

270

271

272

273

274

275

276

277

278

279

280

281

282

283

284

285

286

287

288

289

290

291

292

293

294

295

296

297

298

299

300

301

302

303

304

305

306

307

308

309

310

311

312

313

314

315

316

317

318

Scrivener Publishing100 Cummings Center, Suite 541JBeverly, MA 01915-6106

Publishers at ScrivenerMartin Scrivener ([email protected])Phillip Carmical ([email protected])

Alginates

Applications in the Biomedical and Food Industries

 

 

 

Edited by

Shakeel Ahmed

 

 

 

 

This edition first published 2019 by John Wiley & Sons, Inc., 111 River Street, Hoboken, NJ 07030, USA and Scrivener Publishing LLC, 100 Cummings Center, Suite 541J, Beverly, MA 01915, USA © 2019 Scrivener Publishing LLC For more information about Scrivener publications please visit www.scrivenerpublishing.com.

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise, except as permitted by law. Advice on how to obtain permission to reuse material from this title is available at http://www.wiley.com/go/permissions.

Wiley Global Headquarters 111 River Street, Hoboken, NJ 07030, USA

For details of our global editorial offices, customer services, and more information about Wiley products visit us at www.wiley.com.

Limit of Liability/Disclaimer of Warranty While the publisher and authors have used their best efforts in preparing this work, they make no representations or warranties with respect to the accuracy or completeness of the contents of this work and specifically disclaim all warranties, including without limitation any implied warranties of merchantability or fitness for a particular purpose. No warranty may be created or extended by sales representatives, written sales materials, or promotional statements for this work. The fact that an organization, website, or product is referred to in this work as a citation and/or potential source of further information does not mean that the publisher and authors endorse the information or services the organization, website, or product may provide or recommendations it may make. This work is sold with the understanding that the publisher is not engaged in rendering professional services. The advice and strategies contained herein may not be suitable for your situation. You should consult with a specialist where appropriate. Neither the publisher nor authors shall be liable for any loss of profit or any other commercial damages, including but not limited to special, incidental, consequential, or other damages. Further, readers should be aware that websites listed in this work may have changed or disappeared between when this work was written and when it is read.

Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data

ISBN 978-1-119-48791-3

 

This book is dedicated to:

The woman who raised me—AmmaThe woman who guided me—Prof Saiqa IkramThe women who loved me—Nasreen Akhter, Parveen Akhter, ShamimAkhter, and Naida BhabhiThe men who supported me during ups and downs of my life—Mohd Shabbir, Abdul Hamid, Mohd Aslam, and Naseeb BajraanThe friends who stood with me—Wahid ul Rehman, Faheem Rasool,Aamir Mushtaq, and Maqbool Bajjar

Preface

Alginates are linear biopolymers consisting of 1,4-linked β-D-mannuronic acid and 1,4 α-L-guluronic acid residues. These groups of naturally occurring polysaccharides, which are derived from brown algal cell walls and several bacterial strains, have found numerous applications in biomedical sciences and pharmaceutical and food industries. Although there are currently many books available with chapters referencing alginates, this is the first of its kind solely devoted to their properties, modification, and characterization, with particular emphasis on their applications in the biomedical and food industries.

The wide-ranging topics discussed in this book are as follows. Chapter 1 gives an overview of alginates, their structures, and properties, and a detailed account of the modification of alginates, various characterization techniques, and methods of processing is given in chapter 2. Chapter 3 covers the dynamic properties of alginates and their innovative application in various materials, namely, the nanomaterial or the polymer. Chapters 4 and 5 discuss the biomedical applications of alginates. The focus of chapter 6 is the wide use of alginates in pharmaceutical and biomedical industries and that of chapter 7 is the evolution of alginate materials in restorative dentistry. Chapter 8 discusses applications of different cross-linked alginate networks, their microspheres, and hydrogel in relation to drug encapsulation and delivery processes and includes a brief introduction of the chemistry and pharmaceutical chemistry of alginates.

In chapter 9, biomedical applications of alginates—particularly wound care application in the various forms of alginate-based wound dressings—are discussed. Chapter 10 discusses the present use and future potential of alginates as a tool in drug formulation and regenerative medicine. Chapters 11, 12, and 13 focus on food packaging, beverage industry, and comestible applications of alginates, respectively. The last chapter of the book discusses the current uses and future prospects of alginates in food packaging and biomedical applications.

I hope that this book will be helpful to research scholars and scientists working in the area of alginates. I hope that it will also be helpful to beginners and undergraduate and graduate students, as it gives a full description of alginate structural details, history, properties, processing, etc. I am very grateful to the contributors of this book for their valuable contributions and Scrivener-Wiley for its publication.

Shakeel Ahmed December 2018 Jammu & Kashmir, India

Part 1ALGINATES—INTRODUCTION, CHARACTERIZATION AND PROPERTIES

Chapter 2Alginates Production, Characterization and Modification

Pintu Pandit1*, T. N. Gayatri1 and Baburaj Regubalan2

1Department of Fibres and Textile Processing Technology

2Department of Food Engineering and Technology, Institute of Chemical Technology, N. P. Marg, Matunga, Mumbai, India

*Corresponding author:[email protected]

Abstract

Alginate, naturally occurring in brown seaweeds, is an anionic polysaccharide that has been deeply researched, and its properties of biocompatibility with human tissue, bone, and teeth, and mild gelation along with minimal toxicity while being relatively cheap, have found application in many biomedical science and engineering products and processes. Globally, seaweeds provide the major raw material source for economically producing alginate and related polysaccharides and industrial products. The physicochemical properties of alginates vary as they are composed of various proportions of β-d-mannuronic acid (M) and α-l-guluronic acid (G) residues in their polymeric chains, measured by the G/M ratio, and the specific distribution of molecular weight of the different polymers in the product. The sequence and nature of extraction and precipitation procedures of alginates from seaweed species not only affect the purity and amount of yield but also control the chemical constitution and rheological properties of the product alginate. This chapter will provide a detailed overview of alginate’s production, characterization, and modification, which could indicate new starting points for future studies.

Keywords: Alginates, production, characterization, modification

2.1 Introduction

Alginate is an anionic polysaccharide, naturally occurring in brown seaweeds, and has been extensively studied and used in many biomedical applications due to its biocompatibility, minimal toxicity, and mild gelation achieved through addition of divalent cations such as Ca2+, along with its availability at a relatively cheap price [1]. Alginate hydrogels can be prepared by different cross-linking techniques and agents; depending on the nature of cross-linking and density of the network, drugs ranging in size from small molecules to large macromolecular proteins can be released in a controlled manner from the alginate gel, which encapsulates them or carries them. Their structure has features similar to the extracellular matrices of biological structural tissues promoting their extensive application in wound healing medical devices, cell transplantation and in the delivery of bioactive drugs and proteins. Alginate wound dressings favor wound healing by maintaining a physiologically moist microenvironment, while inhibiting bacterial infection at the wound site.

Alginate gels find important and numerous applications in the pharmaceutical field as they may be orally ingested or given as injections into the body, without causing much discomfort to the patient. In tissue engineering, cell and organ transplants and implants made from alginate gels provide a substitute for regeneration for patients with damaged, nonfunctioning organs and tissues [2]. Hydrogels function by carrying a payload of regenerative cells and drugs to the site of damage, while also acting as a substrate for the growth of new tissue, whose structure and function can be guided by the mechanical flexibility, stiffness, and pore size of the alginate gel [3].

Alginate has been utilized in biomedical applications such as wound healing, drug delivery, and in vitro cell culture and has unexplored potential as a biomaterial for many tissue engineering problems. The suitability and fit of alginate for these applications are because of its biocompatibility, gelation under mild conditions, and the ease of synthetic modifications required to make alginate derivatives that have the required properties. Chemically modified alginate has found a crucial use as a carrier for dental follicle cells and suitable growth factors to initiate and promote periodontal regeneration while sustaining osteogenesis [4]. Similar to other hydrogels from agarose, polyvinyl alcohol, and acrylates, alginate gels have a limited mechanical stiffness and degrade gradually on exposure to physiological fluids, and the more general physical properties of absorption, swelling, and ion and small molecule binding and release could be modulated with the structure and compositional variation. The encapsulation of cells by covalent cross-linking reactions can cause toxic harm to the cells encapsulated, but through a suitable choice of cell-compatible chemical reagents (e.g., initiator), and complete removal of unreacted reagents and by-products, cross-linked alginate can be fitted such applications. Looking to the future, the alginate-based materials used in medicine are likely to develop exponentially.

The clinical application of alginate gels in wound healing involves their passive role as resorbable matrices. The use and design of alginate gels as reservoirs of drugs and progenitor cells for growth, which release on external mechanical signals or tuned magnetic fields, is feasible [5, 6]. The ability of alginates to interact with cells is pivotal to tissue engineering applications, since without modification with protein signaling motifs, alginates are not recognized for mammalian cell adhesion. The nature of adhesion ligands and their spatial arrangement in gels are key parameters that can regulate and select the growth of cell phenotype in regenerated tissue, eventually determining its resultant function. Genetic engineering techniques to modify bacterial synthesis of alginates could forge new pathways to the design and creation of alginate polymers with tailor-made properties. Various polypeptides and proteins that improve structural properties and engender novel functions in alginate gels have been prepared and examined for biomedical applications [7, 8]. The ability to design and synthesize new classes of alginates with control of specific physical and chemical characteristics, unlike the limited range of properties available from natural alginate sources, tuned to a particular application could herald a revolution in the use of these materials. In this chapter, general properties, production, and modification of alginate have been discussed.

Biopolymer demand continues to grow annually by 3–4% because of their enhanced application in different areas, but production needs to keep pace with it. The annual growth rate over 2007–2011 in volume terms of seaweed produced has been 9%. Emerging producers in China, Eastern Europe, Brazil, etc. have driven most of this growth. Prices have tended to remain stable, even though demand has outstripped production because the markets do not support increased prices where substitution or extension with cheaper materials is possible. The higher seaweed material and process costs of energy and chemicals reflect the production of alginic acid on a large scale. The islands of the Philippines and Indonesia are the major producers of cultivated Laminaria digitata, Laminaria hyperborea, and Laminaria saccharina because their oceanic geography assists the growth of alginate-producing seaweed throughout the year. In comparison, in India, the available alginate produce much less and the viscosity of the produced alginate does not readily fit the requirements of the textile industry. Therefore, there is a great need to discover bacterial resources for alginate production with higher viscosity, which may be exploited with little capital cost. Production of alginate depends on the demand from various industries, and the viscosity of the alginate production can be enhanced, for example, by using recombinant strains of Azotobacter, obtained by genetic manipulation [9].

2.2 Alginate: Production

Seaweeds are the major source for producing value-added polysaccharides and industrial by-products globally. Alginates are one of the chief products extracted from seaweeds, mainly brown algae. These polysaccharides constitute the structural composition of the cell walls and the intercellular matrix in seaweeds.

The ratio M/G varies with the source of alginates, but its physical properties, for similar M/G ratio, are almost the same even when extracted from different biosources. Alginates are most often used in food processing as a stabilizer, viscosity agent, and gelling agent, with annual industrial requirements of alginates reaching ~30,000 metric tons [10]. Alginates form 40% of the dry matter of the commercially harvested species of seaweeds, such as Laminaria spp. and Macrocystis spp. [11]. Recently, this polysaccharide has been used for wide range of pharmaceutical and biological products, as in wound dressings [12]. Prior to 1975, commercial alginate production was based on seaweeds, where they were treated with alkali solution followed by filtration. The alginates were precipitated with chloride salts of sodium/calcium cations, so that the alginate salts can be converted to alginic acid, on acidifying with dilute HCl. On purification, the obtained alginic acid gave water-soluble sodium alginates [13]. During the late 1980s, two genera of bacteria, the nonpathogenic Pseudomonas and Azotobacter, were identified to be major producers of alginate and alginic acids. In nature, microbes produce alginates through different metabolic processes with various material functions. Pseudomonas aeruginosa produces alginates that constitute the thick highly structured biofilm, characteristic of the species [9], whereas Azotobacter produces rigid alginate, essential for the formation of water-conserving cysts [14] resistant to dessication and stress.

2.2.1 Screening of Alginate-Producing Microbes

Alginates are hydrocolloids derived from seaweed that interact with water to form colloid systems, like a gel or solubilized particles. Alginates are extracted in disparate ways depending on the application, but the most generally applied procedure [9] involves extracting the alginate as sodium alginate. The insoluble calcium and magnesium alginates present in the brown seaweed cell walls are extracted by maceration and converted to soluble sodium alginates, eventually obtained as alginic acid or calcium alginate. The consecutive addition of acid, alcohol, and sodium carbonate affects the conversion. The extraction procedures applicable to alginate extraction encounter problems such as insolubility from seaweed residuals interfering with the ease of separation. Filtration of the solution of dissolving alginate as sodium alginate requires large volumes of water, as the increased viscosity of the solution makes the separation onerous. The fine particulate nature of the seaweed residuals can block the filter; so filter aids are required to ease the process and make it cost effective. Also, the chemicals utilized for extraction influence the physicochemical properties of alginates. There exists a need to establish extraction and processing by alternate and milder methods, so as to overcome the problems faced in the traditional extraction procedures along with the detrimental effects on the quality and quantity of alginate yield. Enzymatic extraction techniques of alginate from seaweed using enzymes such as alginate lyase, laminarinase, which could degrade the seaweed cell wall to release free alginate, have been studied, but not standardized to routine extractions. The main hurdles facing alginate producers are the varying available areas for alginate farming and production due to increasing non-alginate uses for the same types of seaweed, increasing government proscriptions on the harvesting of natural seaweeds, and decreasing ease of access to large natural seaweed resources. Natural seaweed releases alginate alone into the surrounding sea water, but in the marine environment, it is converted to sodium salt of alginates. Hence, potassium alginate also is present in the extract from cells of marine seaweed. Calcium alginate is obtained from sodium alginate, where sodium is substituted with calcium.

2.2.2 Production of Alginate by Bacteria