title: Profiling of cellulose content in Indian seaweed species.
abstract: Cellulose contents were estimated in 12 seaweed samples belonging to different families e.g. red, brown and green, growing in Indian waters. Each cellulose sample was fractionated to yield alpha (alpha) and beta (beta) celluloses. Characterization was done using various analytical tools and results were validated by comparison with those of the cellulose obtained from Whatman filter paper No. 4. The greatest yields of cellulose (crude), alpha- and beta-cellulose were obtained from Gelidiella acerosa (13.65%), Chamaedoris auriculata (9.0%) and G. acerosa (3.10%). G. acerosa was also found to contain relatively high amount of alpha-cellulose (8.19%). The lowest cellulose contents were recorded from Kappaphycus alvarezii (2.00%) and Sarconema scinaioides (2.1%), while the latter contained the lowest alpha-, and beta-celluloses (1.0% and 0.30%, respectively). It appears that agarophytic and alginophytic algae contain high cellulose and alpha-cellulose contents, while the carrageenophyte contains low cellulose. The brown algae, in general contain high cellulose as well as alpha- and beta-celluloses.
authors.affiliation: Marine Biotechnology and Ecology Discipline, Central Salt and Marine Chemical Research Institute, Council of Scientific and Industrial Research, G.B. Marg, Bhavnagar 364002, Gujarat, India. aks@csmcri.org
authors.forename: A K
authors.initials: AK
authors.lastname: Siddhanta
authors.forename: Kamalesh
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Prasad
authors.forename: Ramavatar
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Meena
authors.forename: Gayatri
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Prasad
authors.forename: Gaurav K
authors.initials: GK
authors.lastname: Mehta
authors.forename: Mahesh U
authors.initials: MU
authors.lastname: Chhatbar
authors.forename: Mihir D
authors.initials: MD
authors.lastname: Oza
authors.forename: Sanjay
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Kumar
authors.forename: Naresh D
authors.initials: ND
authors.lastname: Sanandiya
mesh_terms: D002482:Cellulose / Q000032:analysis*; D007194:India; D009682:Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy; D012624:Seaweed / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000254:growth & development; D014961:X-Ray Diffraction
chemical_list: D002482:Cellulose