Naturally acetylated alginate

Alginates were first described by Standford in 1881 [1]. They were originally discovered thanks to industrial developments related to iodine production. Alginates are quite widespread in Nature. They can be found as major cell-wall components (up to 45% of the dry matter) in marine brown algae (Phaeophyceae). They also occur in acetylated form as exopolysaccharides produced by bacteria belonging to Pseudomonas and Azotobacter genders. 

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