Organic compounds -- part of the class 532-570 series – Organic compounds – Carbohydrates or derivatives
Patent
1995-06-28
1998-07-07
Kight, John
Organic compounds -- part of the class 532-570 series
Organic compounds
Carbohydrates or derivatives
536102, 536120, 536122, 5361231, 536127, 536128, C07H 106, C07H 108, C07G 300
Patent
active
057771022
DESCRIPTION:
BRIEF SUMMARY
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to a method for the production of a carrageenan-containing product derived from seaweed and to a carrageenan-containing seaweed product prepared by the method.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
Carrageenan is a complex mixture of sulphated polysaccharides comprising linear polymers of 1,3 bound .beta.-D-galactose units and 1,4 bound .alpha.-D-galactose units with the following generalised structure: B (1.fwdarw.3.alpha.)A(1.fwdarw.4.beta.)B(1.fwdarw.3.alpha.)A(1.fwdarw.4.be ta.)B(1.fwdarw. The molecular weight of useful commercial carrageenan is generally from about 500,000 to about 1,000,000. Polymers with a molecular weight below about 100,000 are not generally classified as carrageenan. Carrageenan is used extensively in the food industry as an emulsifier, a gelling agent and as a thickening agent.
Carrageenan is normally soluble in warm water, in which it forms high viscosity solutions, and insoluble in most organic solvents. All types of carrageenans form complexes with proteins.
Portions of the polymer chains in some types of carrageenan (kappa/iota) can form double helix structures and thus a 3-dimensional network which results in gel formation. Carrageenan gels are thermoreversible. The temperature at which the transition from gel to sol occurs (the gel's melting point) is between 40.degree. C. and 70.degree. C., depending upon the concentration and presence of cations.
Different types of carrageenan known as kappa, iota, lambda, ny and my carrageenan are known. The different types are differentiated according to the nature of their repeating galactose units. The most important carrageenan types for commercial purposes are kappa, iota and lambda carrageenan (Kirk-Othmer (ed): Encyclopedia of Chemical Technology, 3rd edition, 1980, p. 53).
In aqueous solution the various types of carrageenan react differently towards different cations as follows:
______________________________________ kappa carrageenan:
precipitates (gels) with K.sup.+, Ca.sup.++,
Mg.sup.++, Ba.sup.++, Sr.sup.++ and NH.sub.4.sup.+ and is
in-
soluble in solutions containing these
ions. The strongest gelation is
achieved with K.sup.+. No gelation occurs
with Na.sup.+, and Na salts are soluble.
lambda carrageenan:
does not precipitate (gel) with the
cations listed above. All salts are
soluble.
iota carrageenan:
essentially like kappa carrageenan,
but, the strongest gelation is
achieved with Ca.sup.++.
______________________________________
These properties can be employed for selective extraction of kappa/iota and lambda carrageenan (see e.g. Smith et al., Can. J. Chem. 33, 1352 (1955)).
Carrageenan containing galactose units which are sulfated in the 6-position can form 3,6-anhydro units (elimination of sulphate by ring formation) by treatment with a base. It is possible employing such a modifying alkaline treatment to provide a carrageenan material with improved gel properties, assuming the carrageenan contains 6-sulphated galactose units.
The polymer chains in carrageenan can be broken by treatment with an acid (hydrolytic depolymerization) or by treatment with hydrogen peroxide (oxidative depolymerization). By use of a modifying alkaline treatment as well as a hydrolytic or oxidative depolymerization carrageenan products having optimum gelation properties and viscosity for specific purposes may be obtained.
Carrageenan is found in seaweed of the class Rhodophyceae (red algae) from which it can be isolated. Carrageenan does not exist as a free polymer in the red algae, but comprises a part of the "skeleton" of the algae.
The occurrence and distribution of the various carrageenan types in Rhodophyceae is dependent on, among other things, the species, location and life cycle of the seaweed. Carrageenan is found in species belonging to the families Gigartinaceae and Solieriaceae and particularly in the species belonging to the genera Gigartina, Chondrus, Eucheuma and Iridaea.
Red algae of the family Gigartinaceae, e.g. Chondrus crispus and Gigartina
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Kirk-Othmer (ed.): Encyclopedia of Chemical Technology, 3rd edition, 1980, pp. 51-53 and pp. 64-66.
Smith et al., Canadian Journal of Chemistry 33, 1955, p. 1352.
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Grindsted Products A/S (Danisco)
Kight John
Lee Howard C.
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