Honey-Stabilized Alginate Nanoparticles Derived from Sargassum: Synthesis, Physicochemical Characterization and...

Area of Science:

• Marine Biology
• Materials Science
• Biochemistry

Background:

• Massive pelagic Sargassum influxes pose environmental challenges in the Caribbean.
• There is an urgent need for sustainable valorization strategies for Sargassum biomass.

Purpose of the Study:

• To extract sodium alginate from Sargassum fluitans.
• To synthesize calcium-crosslinked alginate nanoparticles from the extracted alginate.
• To characterize the alginate and resultant nanoparticles.

Main Methods:

• Sodium alginate extraction from Sargassum fluitans using formaldehyde pretreatment and heating.
• Ionotropic gelation for synthesizing calcium-crosslinked alginate nanoparticles.
• Characterization using UV-Vis, FTIR, NMR, SEM, and DLS.

Main Results:

• Successful extraction of sodium alginate with a yield of 18.7%.
• Structural confirmation of alginate using spectroscopic methods (UV-Vis, FTIR, NMR).
• Synthesis of spherical alginate nanoparticles (233-269 nm dry diameter) with nanoscale populations (12.75-15.31 nm) and good short-term colloidal stability.

Conclusions:

• Pelagic Sargassum fluitans is a viable source for alginate and alginate nanoparticle production.
• This study establishes a method for converting Sargassum biomass into higher-value polysaccharide-based nanomaterials.
• The findings provide a foundation for future applications of Sargassum-derived alginate nanoparticles.