Sodium alginate (NaC6H7O6) is a linear polysaccharide derivative of alginic acid comprised of 1,4-β-d-mannuronic (M) and α-l-guluronic (G) acids. Sodium alginate is a cell wall component of marine brown algae, and contains approximately 30 to 60% alginic acid.
Sodium alginate is a natural polysaccharide with a linear structure, is biodegradable, biocompatible and safe for the body, provides strength and flexibility to the tissue, and can be used industrially because it has gelling, viscous and stabilizing properties and the ability to retain water. Alginate can be synthesized from the cell wall of various species of brown algae: Laminaria hyperborea, Ecklonia maxima, Ascophyllum nodosum, Eisenia bicyclis and Macrocystis pyrifera ecc., and from various species of bacteria: Azotobacter and Pseudomonas. From these sources, alginate extracted from brown algae has commercial importance for the food, pharmaceutical, cosmetic industries, etc.
Nowadays, the development of m…