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Published on: June 29, 2017
Physicochemical features of ultra-high viscosity alginates
Henning Storz1, Kilian J Müller, Friederike Ehrhart
1Institute for Technical and Macromolecular Chemistry, University of Hamburg, Hamburg, Germany.
Carbohydrate Research
|April 28, 2009
Summary
This study characterizes ultra-high viscosity alginates from Lessonia species, revealing exceptional molar mass and coil size. Capillary viscometry offers a simple method for quality control of these biocompatible materials.
Area of Science:
- Marine biotechnology
- Polymer science
- Biomaterials engineering
Background:
- Alginates are widely used biopolymers with diverse applications.
- Characterizing novel alginate sources is crucial for expanding their utility.
- Lessonia species offer potential for unique alginate properties.
Purpose of the Study:
- To analyze the physicochemical properties of ultra-high viscosity alginates (UHV-alginates) from Lessonia nigrescens (UHV(N)) and Lessonia trabeculata (UHV(T)).
- To determine the molar mass, coil size, and structural characteristics of these novel alginates.
- To evaluate the suitability of capillary viscometry for process validation.
Main Methods:
- Fluorescence and 1H NMR spectroscopies for structural elucidation.
- Viscometry and multi-angle light scattering (MALS) for molar mass and coil size determination.
- Size exclusion chromatography (SEC) and asymmetrical flow-field-flow fractionation (AF4) for distribution analysis.
Main Results:
- UHV-alginates exhibited unusually high intrinsic viscosity (up to 2750 mL/g) and weight-average molar mass (up to 1.1x10^6 g/mol).
- Z-average gyration radii were also significantly high (up to 191 nm), indicating large coil sizes.
- NMR revealed differing guluronate content between UHV(N) and UHV(T), but monomer composition did not affect coil expansion.
Conclusions:
- The characterized UHV-alginates possess unique physicochemical properties suitable for applications like immunoisolation.
- Established equations allow calculation of molar mass and coil size for alginate mixtures.
- Capillary viscometry provides a cost-effective method for real-time process monitoring and quality control.
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