Organic Modification of the Polysaccharide Alginate

Title: Organic Modification of the Polysaccharide Alginate

Volume: 7 Issue: 1

Author(s): Matthew D. Cathell, Janah C. Szewczyk and Caroline L. Schauer

Affiliation:

Keywords: Alginate, modification, biopolymer, polysaccharide

Abstract: The polysaccharide alginate is a linear chain binary copolymer made of guluronic acid and mannuronic acid subunits. Alginate is a natural polymer material produced by a number of organisms, including brown algae and bacteria. It has found application in a variety of areas, including food, cosmetics, pharmaceutical and biomedical industries. In recent years, a number of studies have been published on covalent modification of alginate, often through carbodiimide-mediated reactions at the carboxyl moieties. These modifications have imparted a wide range of different chemical and physical material properties, including altered reactivity, hydrophilicity, viscosity and sorption characteristics. This mini-review focuses on the methods and applications of organically modified alginates from recent publications.

Cite this article as:

Cathell D. Matthew, Szewczyk C. Janah and Schauer L. Caroline, Organic Modification of the Polysaccharide Alginate, Mini-Reviews in Organic Chemistry 2010; 7 (1) . https://dx.doi.org/10.2174/1570193X11007010061