Characterization of sodium alginate extracted from brown seaweeds growing on Veraval coast, Gujarat

Marine environment is a major potential source of functional materials, including polysaccharides, vitamins, enzymes, oils, antioxidants and peptides. All these materials are extracted from different marine living organisms including microbes, plants and animals. Among these seaweeds or marine macroalgae are one of the important sources and they are a part of staple diet from time immemorial in the orient as they are nutritionally rich materials. Those species that adapted to these pressures will expand their living boundaries and higher potential of row material availability in industry like pharmaceutical market, textile, fertilizer and for animal and human consumption. The present study concerns about the specific brown seaweeds, which is suitable material for alginate and growing abundantly at seacoast of Gujarat. Out of many species of seaweeds growing on the coastline of Veraval, four species viz., Sargassum tenerrimum, Dictyota dichotoma, Spathoglossum asperum, Iyengaria stellata were selected for alginate extraction. The focus of this study is to utilize natural resources as alternatives and sustainability of human health to use sodium alginate as novel polymer and which is also biodegradable. It may be associated to other biologically active molecules and has a wide range of physicochemical and biochemical properties. Because of amazing properties, alginate and its salts are used in drug delivery system.