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Carrageenan
Carrageenans or carrageenins ( ; ) are a family of natural linear sulfated polysaccharides that are extracted from red edible seaweeds. Carrageenans are widely used in the food industry, for their gelling, thickening, and stabilizing properties. Their main application is in dairy and meat products, due to their strong binding to food proteins. In recent years, carrageenans have emerged as a promising candidate in tissue engineering and regenerative medicine applications as they resemble native glycosaminoglycans (GAGs). They have been mainly used for tissue engineering, wound coverage and drug delivery. Carrageenans contain 15-40% ester-sulfate content, which makes them anionic polysaccharides. They can be mainly categorized into three different classes based on their sulfate content. Kappa-carrageenan has one sulfate group per disaccharide, iota-carrageenan has two, and lambda-carrageenan has three. The most well-known and most important red seaweed used for manufacturing the hy ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Kappaphycus Alvarezii
Description ''Kappaphycus alvarezii'', the elkhorn sea moss, is a species of red algae. The elkhorn sea moss varies in size, weight, and age. It is a dark greenish-brown hue and can sometimes be deep purple. The moss is cylindrical in shape throughout the seaweed. Its diameter averages 1.526 mm when dried. Near the base of the seaweed, its average length is from 1 mm to 17 mm and 1 mm to 2 mm in diameter. Firm algae are around 2 m tall, with axes and branches around 1–2 cm in diameter. It used to be believed they reproduced through vegetative fermentation, but recent studies show that they reproduce sexually. They reproduce through vegetative propagation and reproduce sexually. Cross sections of the Elkhorn sea moss have a medulla composed of small thick-walled cells interspaced among large parenchyma cells. This moss is used for various types of foods that humans consume and can also be used to make a jelly-like dessert. This moss is a very good ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Seaweed Farming
Seaweed farming or kelp farming is the practice of cultivating and harvesting seaweed. In its simplest form, it consists of the management of naturally found batches. In its most advanced form, it consists of fully controlling the life cycle of the algae. The top seven most cultivated seaweed taxa are ''Eucheuma'' spp., ''Kappaphycus alvarezii'', ''Gracilaria'' spp., ''Saccharina japonica'', '' Undaria pinnatifida'', ''Pyropia'' spp., and '' Sargassum fusiforme''. ''Eucheuma'' and ''K. alvarezii'' are farmed for carrageenan (a gelling agent); ''Gracilaria'' is farmed for agar; while the rest are farmed for food. The largest seaweed-producing countries are China, Indonesia, and the Philippines. Other notable producers include South Korea, North Korea, Japan, Malaysia, and Zanzibar (Tanzania). Seaweed farming has frequently been developed as an alternative to improve economic conditions and to reduce fishing pressure and overexploited fisheries. Global production of farmed aquati ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Edible Seaweed
Edible seaweed, or sea vegetables, are seaweeds that can be eaten and used for culinary purposes. They typically contain high amounts of fiber. They may belong to one of several groups of multicellular algae: the red algae, green algae, and brown algae. Seaweeds are also harvested or cultivated for the extraction of polysaccharides such as alginate, agar and carrageenan, gelatinous substances collectively known as hydrocolloids or phycocolloids. Hydrocolloids have attained commercial significance, especially in food production as food additives. The food industry exploits the gelling, water-retention, emulsifying and other physical properties of these hydrocolloids. Most edible seaweeds are marine algae whereas most freshwater algae are toxic. Some marine algae contain acids that irritate the digestion canal, while others can have a laxative and electrolyte-balancing effect. Most marine macroalgae are nontoxic in normal quantities, but members of the genus ''Lyngbya'' ar ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Thickening Agent
A thickening agent or thickener is a substance which can increase the viscosity of a liquid without substantially changing its other properties. Edible thickeners are commonly used to thicken sauces, soups, and puddings without altering their taste; thickeners are also used in paints, inks, explosives, and cosmetics. Thickeners may also improve the suspension of other ingredients or emulsions which increases the stability of the product. Thickening agents are often regulated as food additives and as cosmetics and personal hygiene product ingredients. Some thickening agents are gelling agents (gellants), forming a gel, dissolving in the liquid phase as a colloid mixture that forms a weakly cohesive internal structure. Others act as mechanical thixotropic additives with discrete particles adhering or interlocking to resist strain. Thickening agents can also be used when a medical condition such as dysphagia causes difficulty in swallowing. Thickened liquids play a vital role in ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Chondrus Crispus
''Chondrus crispus''—commonly called Irish moss or carrageen moss (Irish ''carraigín'', "little rock")—is a species of red algae which grows abundantly along the rocky parts of the Atlantic coast of Europe and North America. In its fresh condition this protist is soft and cartilaginous, varying in color from a greenish-yellow, through red, to a dark purple or purplish-brown. The principal constituent is a mucilaginous body, made of the polysaccharide carrageenan, which constitutes 55% of its dry weight. The organism also consists of nearly 10% dry weight protein and about 15% dry weight mineral matter, and is rich in iodine and sulfur. When softened in water it has a sea-like odour and because of the abundant cell wall polysaccharides it will form a jelly when boiled, containing from 20 to 100 times its weight of water. Description ''Chondrus crispus'' is a relatively small sea alga, reaching up to a little more than 20 cm in length. It grows from a discoid holdfas ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Eucheuma Denticulatum
''Eucheuma denticulatum'' is a species of red algae and one of the primary sources of iota carrageenan. It exists naturally in the Philippines, tropical Asia, and the western Pacific, but for the commercial extraction of carrageenan it is usually cultivated. The species is commonly known as ''E. spinosum'' when cultivated and can be found in different colours: brown, green and red. Cultivation of ''Eucheuma'' started in the Philippines in the early 1970s and has since been introduced to many other locations with varying results. There are different methods of cultivating ''E. denticulatum''. One of the more common ones is the off-bottom "tie-tie"-method, with the setup being two stakes driven into the sediment with a rope between them. Pieces of the seaweed are then tied to the rope at regular intervals and allowed to grow for 6 weeks, after which it is harvested and dried. The species was originally described in 1768 as ''Fucus denticulatus'' by Nicolaas Laurens Burman Nicola ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Eucheuma
''Eucheuma'', commonly known as gusô (), is a rhodophyte seaweed that may vary in color (red, brown, and green). ''Eucheuma'' species are used in the production of carrageenan, an ingredient for cosmetics, food processing, and industrial manufacturing, as well as a food source for people in the Philippines and parts of Indonesia and Malaysia. ''Eucheuma cottonii'' – cultivated in the Philippines – is the particular species known as gusô. Other species include ''Betaphycus gelatinae'', ''Eucheuma denticulatum'', and several species of the genus ''Kappaphycus'', including ''K. alvarezii''. Since the mid-1970s, ''Kappaphycus'' and ''Eucheuma'' have been a major source for the expansion of the carrageenan industry. Commercial seaweed farming of gusô (as well as ''Kappaphycus'') was pioneered in the Philippines. Though commercially significant, species of ''Eucheuma'' are difficult to identify without the aid of close scientific examination, as different species may have similar ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Red Algae
Red algae, or Rhodophyta (, ; ), are one of the oldest groups of eukaryotic algae. The Rhodophyta also comprises one of the largest phyla of algae, containing over 7,000 currently recognized species with taxonomic revisions ongoing. The majority of species (6,793) are found in the Florideophyceae (class), and mostly consist of multicellular, marine algae, including many notable seaweeds. Red algae are abundant in marine habitats but relatively rare in freshwaters. Approximately 5% of red algae species occur in freshwater environments, with greater concentrations found in warmer areas. Except for two coastal cave dwelling species in the asexual class Cyanidiophyceae, there are no terrestrial species, which may be due to an evolutionary bottleneck in which the last common ancestor lost about 25% of its core genes and much of its evolutionary plasticity. The red algae form a distinct group characterized by having eukaryotic cells without flagella and centrioles, chloroplasts that l ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Kappaphycus
''Kappaphycus'' is a genus of red algae. Species are distributed in the waters of East Africa, Indonesia, Malaysia, Hainan Island, the Philippines, and Micronesia.Guiry, M. D. In: Guiry, M. D. & G. M. Guiry. 2013''Kappaphycus''.AlgaeBase. National University of Ireland, Galway. Accessed 07 November 2013. Genus ''Kappaphycus'' is "morphologically plastic", with few visible characters that can be used to separate the taxa, so distinguishing the species can be difficult. In addition, many commercial varieties have been bred. Molecular analyses can be used. In general, these algae have fleshy thalli that grow erect from one or more anchors. The longest individuals can exceed a meter in length. All species produce kappa-carrageenan. Farming of this is a large business in the Philippines. Gavino Trono is a Filipino biologist dubbed the “Father of Kappaphycus farming”. ''Kappaphycus alvarezii'' is widely cultivated as a raw source of carrageenan, and other species are used, as well ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Gulaman
''Gulaman'', in Filipino cuisine, is a bar, or powdered form, of dried agar or carrageenan used to make jelly-like desserts. In common usage, it also usually refers to the refreshment ''sago't gulaman'', sometimes referred to as ''samalamig'', sold at roadside stalls and vendors. Description ''Gulaman'' is the Filipino culinary use of agar, which is made of processed ''Gracilaria'' seaweed; or carrageenan derived from other farmed seaweed species like ''Eucheuma'' and ''Kappaphycus alvarezii'' which were first cultivated commercially in the Philippines. It is usually sold dehydrated and formed into foot-long dry bars which are either plain or coloured. It is also commonly sold in powder form. Uses ''Gulaman'' bars are used in the various Filipino refreshments or desserts such as '' sago at gulaman'', ''buko pandan'', agar flan, ''halo-halo'', ''fruit cocktail jelly'', different varieties of Filipino fruit salads, black ''gulaman'', and red ''gulaman''. Differences between ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Philippines
The Philippines (; fil, Pilipinas, links=no), officially the Republic of the Philippines ( fil, Republika ng Pilipinas, links=no), * bik, Republika kan Filipinas * ceb, Republika sa Pilipinas * cbk, República de Filipinas * hil, Republika sang Filipinas * ibg, Republika nat Filipinas * ilo, Republika ti Filipinas * ivv, Republika nu Filipinas * pam, Republika ning Filipinas * krj, Republika kang Pilipinas * mdh, Republika nu Pilipinas * mrw, Republika a Pilipinas * pag, Republika na Filipinas * xsb, Republika nin Pilipinas * sgd, Republika nan Pilipinas * tgl, Republika ng Pilipinas * tsg, Republika sin Pilipinas * war, Republika han Pilipinas * yka, Republika si Pilipinas In the recognized optional languages of the Philippines: * es, República de las Filipinas * ar, جمهورية الفلبين, Jumhūriyyat al-Filibbīn is an archipelagic country in Southeast Asia. It is situated in the western Pacific Ocean and consists of around 7,641 islands t ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Indonesia
Indonesia, officially the Republic of Indonesia, is a country in Southeast Asia and Oceania between the Indian and Pacific oceans. It consists of over 17,000 islands, including Sumatra, Java, Sulawesi, and parts of Borneo and New Guinea. Indonesia is the world's largest archipelagic state and the 14th-largest country by area, at . With over 275 million people, Indonesia is the world's fourth-most populous country and the most populous Muslim-majority country. Java, the world's most populous island, is home to more than half of the country's population. Indonesia is a presidential republic with an elected legislature. It has 38 provinces, of which nine have special status. The country's capital, Jakarta, is the world's second-most populous urban area. Indonesia shares land borders with Papua New Guinea, East Timor, and the eastern part of Malaysia, as well as maritime borders with Singapore, Vietnam, Thailand, the Philippines, Australia, Palau, and India ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
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