A Comprehensive Review on Alginates
Kalyani Sreekumar1, B. Bindhu2
1Kalyani Sreekumar, Department of Physics, Noorul Islam Centre for Higher Education, Kumaracoil (Tamil Nadu), India.
2B. Bindhu, Department of Physics, Noorul Islam Centre for Higher Education, Kumaracoil (Tamil Nadu), India.
Manuscript received on 19 June 2019 | Revised Manuscript received on 11 July 2019 | Manuscript Published on 17 July 2019 | PP: 1095-1097 | Volume-8 Issue-1C2 May 2019 | Retrieval Number: A11900581C219/2019©BEIESP
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© The Authors. Blue Eyes Intelligence Engineering and Sciences Publication (BEIESP). This is an open access article under the CC-BY-NC-ND license (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/)
Abstract: Polysaccharides and its derivates from renewable sources had drawn attention as attractive compounds that can be used as substitutes over nonrenewable synthetic materials. Alginates are naturally occurring polysaccharides with unique physiochemical properties that have applications in biomedical and pharmaceutical fields. The most useful and unique property of alginates is their ability to react with polyvalent metal cations, specifically calcium ions, to produce strong gels or insoluble polymers. Polymer blends combined of alginates with other biopolymers are expected to bring changes in the polymer industry due to their unique biological and pharmacological activities. These blends find applications in medical and pharmaceutical field, food technology, as imprint matrices, and agriculture field. This paper focuses in an in-depth review on alginates. The structural chemistry, their various properties and applications are studied. The blends and composites that have been prepared with alginates and their properties are also highlighted.
Keywords: Alginates, Biopolymers, Medical Uses, Drug Delivery.
Scope of the Article: Bio-Science and Bio-Technology