Alginate chemical composition

Draget, K.I. Skjak-Braek, G. Smidsrod, O. Alginic acid gels the effect of alginate chemical composition and molecular weight. Carbohydr. Polym. 1994, 25, 31. 

Similarly, the encapsulation of various molecules (BSA and dextrans with various molecular weights) in calcium alginate beads coated with chitosan has been reported [178,179]. Their release has been compared and the influence of the conformation, the chemical composition and the molecular weight of the encapsulated materials has been analyzed [178]. The ionic interactions between alginate and chitosan at different pH values are depicted in Fig. 10. 

Tanaka Y, Waldron-Edward D, Skoryna SC. 1968b. Studies on the inhibition of intestinal absorption of radioactive strontium VII. Relationship of biological activity to chemical composition of alginates obtained from North American seaweeds. Can Med Assoc J 99 169-175. 

For their characterization, alginates must first be purified and isolated under their sodium form. NMR spectroscopy ( H and C) is the most powerful technique to characterize the chemical composition and the microstructure of alginates [46 9]. Purified alginates, isolated under the sodium salt form, were also characterized by steric exclusion chromatography (SEC)with three detectors on line. For commercial products, molecular weights may range between 32 000 and 400 000. A further means of characterization is their intrinsic viscosity using the Mark-Houwink relation ... 

Smidsrod O., Glover R.M., Whittington S.G., Relative extension of alginates having different chemical composition, Carhohydr. Res., 27, 1973, 107-118. 

Alginate nanoparticles can be used as oral insulin carrier or glucose binder in the treatment of diabetes as a function of its chemical composition. High molecular weight M-rich alginate nanoparticles are a suitable vehicle for future development into oral insulin carrier (Kadir et al., 2013). 

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