[Algae polysaccharides. 55. Polysaccharide composition of some brown Kamchatka algae]

A new spectrophotometric procedure was developed for the quantitative determination of fucoidan and alginic acid and used for their analysis in extracts from biomass of 17 species of brown algae collected in coastal waters of the Kamchatka peninsula. In addition, neutral monosaccharides and mannitol were determined in the hydrolysis products of the alga biomass samples. The polysaccharide composition was shown to substantially depend on the algal species. The alginic acid content was maximal in the Alaria marginata blades; all the other representatives of the order Laminariales are also useful sources of the polysaccharides. At the same time, the fucoidan content is rather low in Laminariales. The highest content of fucoidan was found in Saundersella simplex, but Chordaria flagelliformis and Fucus evanescens are more practical fucoidan sources; the available supplies and the sugar composition make the latter alga the most suitable for the complex processing to prepare mannitol, fucoidan, and alginic acid.