Abstract
The effect of several alkali treatments on the yield, gel strength, rheology, and chemical characteristics (quality) of the agar obtained from Gracilariopsis lemaneiformis from the Gulf of California was analyzed using different alkali concentrations, temperatures and treatment times. In the first stage of the experiment, all treatments lasted 60 min and the NaOH concentrations (2.5, 3.0, 4.0, 5.0, 6.0%) and temperature (80, 90, 100°C) varied. At constant time, temperature played the predominant role, promoting an increase in agar gel strength. Based on the best treatment conditions found (4% and 5% NaOH, and 90°C and 100°C temperature), in the second stage different treatment times (15, 30, 60, 90, 120 min) were used. Since agar yields were not significantly different among temperatures and times, the optimal conditions to obtain best quality agar were those providing the highest gel strength. Treatment time played an important role in increasing gel strength. Maximum gel strength (Nikan, 954 g cm−2) was obtained with 5% NaOH at 100°C after 90 min of treatment, though these conditions resulted in an agar yield reduction of 25.5% relative to native agar. This treatment proved to efficiently yield G. lemaneiformis agar that will meet the commercial quality requirements regarding gel strength, 3,6 anhydrogalactose and sulfate content, as well as rheology and hysteresis.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Arellano-Carbajal F, Pacheco-Ruíz I, Correa-Díaz F (1999) Seasonal variation in agar yield and quality of Gracilariopis lemaneiformis (Bory) Dawson, Acleto et Foldvik, from the Gulf of California, México. Cienc Mar 25:51–62
Armisen R (1995) Word-wide use and importance of Gracilaria. J Appl Phycol 7:231–243 doi:10.1007/BF00003998
Armisen R (2000) Ficocoloides. Polisacáridos de algas marinas. Memorias Hispanagar, España, p 132
Armisen R, Galatas F (1987) Production, properties and uses of agar. In: McHugh DJ (Ed) Production and utilization of products from commercial seaweeds. Fish Tech Paper FAO No 288, pp 1–57
Craigie JS (1990) Cell walls. In: Cole KM, Sheath RG (eds) Biology of the red algae. Cambridge University Press, Cambridge, pp 221–257
Craigie JS, Leigh C (1978) Carrageenans and agars. In: Hellebust JA, Craigie JS eds Handbook of phycological methods. Physiological and biochemical methods. Cambridge University Press, Cambridge, pp 109–131
Craigie JS, Wen ZC (1984) Effects of temperature and tissue age on gel strength and composition of agar from Gracilaria tikvahiae (Rhodophyceae). Can J Bot 62:1665–1670
Duckworth M, Yaphe W (1971) The structure of agar. Part 1. Fractionation of a complex mixture of polysaccharides. Carbohydr Res 16:359–366
Espinoza-Ávalos J (1993) Macroalgas Marinas del Golfo de California. In: Salazar-Vallejo SI, González NE (eds) Biodiversidad Marina y Costera de México. Com Nal Biodiversidad y CIQRO, México, pp 328–357
Guiseley KB (1970) The relationship between methoxyl content and gelling temperature of agarose. Carbohydr Res 13:247–256 doi:10.1016/S0008–6215(00)80831–9
Hurtado-Ponce AQ (1992) Influence of extraction time on the rheological properties of agar from some Gracilaria species from the Philippines. Bot Mar 35:441–445
Lai M-F, Lii C (1998) Effect of extraction conditions on structural and rheological characteristics of agar from Pterocladia capillacea and carrageenan from Grateloupia filicina. Bot Mar 41:223–234
Minghou J (1990) Processing and extraction of phycocolloids. In: FAC/ACA. Technical Resource Papers. Regional Workshop on the Culture and Utilization of Seaweeds. Vol. II (Regional Sea Farming Development & Demonstration Project RAS/901002. 27–31 August 1990. Cebu City, Philippines. Regional Sea Farming Development & Demonstration Project/Network of Aquaculture Centres in Asia. Bangkok, Thailand, pp 85–96
Myslabodski DE (1990) Red-Algae galactans: isolation and recovery procedures-effects on the structure and rheology. PhD Thesis. University of Trondheim, Norway, 225
Nishinari K, Watase M (1983) Effect of alkali pre-treatment on the rheological properties of concentrated agar-agar gels. Carbohydr Polym 3:39–52 doi:10.1016/0144–8617(83)90011–5
Painter TJ (1983) Algal polysaccharides. In: Aspinall GO (ed) The polysaccharides. Vol. II. Academic, New York, pp 2:195–285
Pacheco-Ruíz I, Zertuche-González JA (1996) The commercially valuable seaweeds of the Gulf of California. Bot Mar 39:201–206
Pacheco-Ruíz I, Zertuche-González JA, Che-Barragán A (2003) Commercial exploitation of Gracilariopsis lemaneiformis in the Gulf of California. Proc XVIIth Int Seaweed Symp 101–105
Rees DA (1961) Enzymic desulphation of porphyran. Biochem J 80:449–453
Rees DA (1972) Shapely polysaccharides. Biochem J 126:257–273
Tabatabai MA (1974) Determination of sulphates in water samples. Sulphur Inst J 10:11–13
Villanueva RD, Pagba CV, Montaño NE (1997) Optimized agar extraction from Gracilaria eucheumoides Harvey. Bot Mar 40:369–372
Wayne WD (2002) Bioestadística. Base para el análisis de las ciencias de la salud, 4th edn. Limusa Wiley, Mexico, p 755
Wong KF, Craigie JS (1978) Sulfohydrolase activity and carrageenan biosynthesis in Chondrus crispus (Rhodophyceae). Plant Physiol 61:663–666
Yaphe W, Arsenault GP (1965) Improved resorcinol reagent for the determination of fructose and of 3,6 anhydrogalactose in polysaccharides. Anal Biochem 13:143–148 doi:10.1016/0003–2697(65)90128–4
Zar JH (1999) Biostatistical Analysis. Prentice-Hall, New Jersey, p 718
Zertuche-González JA (1988) In situ life history, growth and carrageenan characteristics of Eucheuma uncinatum (Setchell & Gardner) Dawson from the Gulf of California. PhD Dissertation, University State of New York at Stony Brook, 162
Acknowledgments
The authors acknowledge the support of the Universidad Autónoma de Baja California and the Instituto Nacional de Pesca. We thank Dr. Felipe Correa-Díaz and Dr. Yolanda Freile-Pelegrín for their valuable comments and suggestions, Manuel Gardea and Christine Harris for translation of the document, as well as the anonymous reviewers whose remarks helped to significantly improve this paper.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Additional information
Enrique Hernández-Garibay holds a CONACyT scholarship.
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
González-Leija, J.A., Hernández-Garibay, E., Pacheco-Ruíz, I. et al. Optimization of the yield and quality of agar from Gracilariopsis lemaneiformis (Gracilariales) from the Gulf of California using an alkaline treatment. J Appl Phycol 21, 321–326 (2009). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10811-008-9370-0
Received:
Revised:
Accepted:
Published:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10811-008-9370-0