Alginic acid NEW

Alginic acid, also called algin, is a naturally occurring, edible polysaccharide found in brown algae. It is hydrophilic and forms a viscous gum when hydrated. With metals such as sodium and calcium, its salts are known as alginates. Its colour ranges from white to yellowish-brown. It is sold in filamentous, granular, or powdered forms.

It is a significant component of the biofilms produced by the bacterium Pseudomonas aeruginosa, a major pathogen found in the lungs of some people who have cystic fibrosis.The biofilm and P. aeruginosa have a high resistance to antibiotics,[2] but susceptible to inhibition by macrophages.

Function:

Alginate may be used in a hydrogel consisting of microparticles or bulk gels combined with nerve in bioengineering research to stimulate brain tissue for possible regeneration. In research on bone reconstruction, alginate composites have favorable properties encouraging regeneration, such as improved porosity, cell proliferation, and mechanical strength, among other characteristics.

Alginate hydrogel is a common biomaterial for bio-fabrication of scaffolds and tissue regeneration.By the covalent attachment of thiol groups to alginate high in situ gelling and mucoadhesive properties can be introduced. The thiolated polymer (thiomer) forms disulfide bonds within its polymeric network and with cysteine-rich subdomains of the mucus layer.Thiolated alginates are thus used as in situ gelling hydrogels and as mucoadhesive drug delivery systems.