Algal Polysaccharides, Novel Applications and Outlook

Seaweed as a protein source for mono-gastric livestock

“…cellulose in green seaweed), however, unlike terrestrial plants, structural and storage polysaccharides in seaweeds are predominantly species-specific. For example, green seaweeds contain cellulose, sulphated galactans (ulvans), sulphated polysaccharides and xylans, brown seaweeds contain alginic acid, fucoidan, laminarin and sargassan, and red seaweeds contain agars, carrageenans, xylans, floridean starch, sulfated galactan and porphyran (Chiovitti et al, 1997;Kraan, 2012;Percival, 1979;Ray & Lahaye, 1995). This diversity of polysaccharides means that the extraction yield and methodology is varied and often species-specific.…”

“…Therefore, processing with freshwater has the potential to increase the concentration of protein in seaweeds by an equivalent amount. This may only be suitable for those seaweeds that have a high concentration of essential amino acids as the polysaccharides, which can represent up to 76% of the dry weight (Kraan, 2012), are typically not affected by simple rinsing. However, few studies have quantified the effect of rinsing on the concentration of ash and protein.…”

The Genome of the Alga-Associated Marine Flavobacterium Formosa agariphila KMM 3901 T Reveals a Broad Potential for Degradation of Algal Polysaccharides

“…Algae are in large part composed of polysaccharides, for instance, as constituents of their extra-and intracellular matrices, cell walls, and storage compounds. In marine algae, polysaccharides can amount to ϳ70% of the algal dry weight (29). Many of these polysaccharides do not occur in land plants, such as, for example, anionic sulfated and/or carboxylated polysaccharides (e.g., agars, carrageenans, fucoidans, ulvans, and alginic acid).…”

Interactions and hybrid complex formation of anionic algal polysaccharides with a cationic glycine betaine-derived surfactant

“…These hydrocolloids have been widely used in industry (especially alginates and carrageenans) because of their rheological properties (gelling and thickening agents) and their biological activities (anticoagulant, antiviral, and immune-inflammatory) that are highly valuable in food, cosmetic and pharmaceutical applications (Kraan, 2012). Carrageenans are linear sulfated polysaccharides composed of repeating disaccharide units with alternating 3-linked ␤-d-galactopyranose and 4-linked ␣-galactopyranose or proportion of these three types of blocks (Haug, Larsen, & Smidsrod, 1967;Smidsrod & Haug, 1972a;Smidsrod, Haug, & Whittington, 1972b).…”