P-18　Highly efficient microwave-assisted hydrothermal extraction of sulfated polysaccharides from Ulva meridionalis

Abstract

Seaweeds are attracting attention as blue carbon because they absorb and store CO₂. The amount of Ulva sp. is rapidly increasing around the world due to high daily growth rates by the eutrophication of coastal waters. The effective utilization of Ulva sp. is highly expected because the large amount of seaweed is removed as it decomposes and has a negative impact on the surrounding environment and ecosystem. Ulva contain a large amount of sulfated polysaccharide called ulvan, which is a functional polysaccharide, is expected to be used effectively. Conventional extraction process of ulvan requires a long extraction time of 1-3 hours using acids and chelating agents. In this study, efficient extraction of ulvan from Ulva meridionalis was achievd using 2.45 GHz microwaves. The extraction time was reduced to 1/6 of the conventional conduction heating extraction. The highest yield was obtained when the solid/liquid ratio was 1:20.