Characterization of Sodium Alginate Extracted from Sargassum cinctum harvested from Gulf of Mannar in India

Alginate is a phycocolloid present in the cell walls of brown macroalgae. Industrial and commercial applications of alginate secure global recognition in food, textile, cosmetic and medical industries. Exploring the new opportunities for the application of sodium alginate is the need to be enlightened. Systematical study and comparison of different extraction methods and their effects on physiochemical properties is to be explored. Sargassum cinctum needed for the study was collected from Mandapam, Gulf of Mannar, Tamil Nadu, India. The samples were washed, dried, powdered and used for polysaccharide extraction. S. cinctum samples were treated and extracted using three different methods. Extraction yield, moisture content, optical characteristics, solubility and structural characterization by FT-IR were carried out for sodium alginate obtained by different extraction methods respectively. Difference in the characteristics and properties of sodium alginate obtained by standard extraction methods paves way for selecting the right method based on the properties for the end application and in the new arenas.