Mannuronic to Guluronic Acid Ratios of Alginic Acids Prepared from Various Brown Seaweeds

Abstract

The ratios of mannuronic acid (M) to Guluronic acid (G) were determined in sodium alginate preparations from brown seaweeds. The M/G ratios widely varied according to the species of seaweed, ranging between 0.34 and 1.79. The M/G ratio of alginic acid preparation did not correlate with the intrinsic viscosity of its sodium salt solution, suggesting that the M/G ratio is not associated with the conformation of sodium alginate. On the other hand, the M/G ratios clearly correlated with its yield from a brown seaweed.