Composition and structure of cell wall ulvans recovered from Ulva spp. along the Swedish west coast
Journal article, 2020

The cell wall polysaccharide ulvan was isolated from two species of the seaweed Ulva collected along the Swedish west coast. Acidic extraction was benchmarked against hot water extraction with enzymatic purification and against commercial ulvan. Extracted ulvan contained 11–18 % g/g of ash, some protein (up to 1.3 % g N/g) but minimal colored impurities. The ulvans had high molecular weights (660,000–760,000 g/mol) and were composed of 77–79 % g/g carbohydrates, mainly rhamnose, xylose, glucose, glucuronic acid, and iduronic acid. The extraction protocol and the ulvan source strongly impact the molecular weight and the chemical composition. Acidic extraction caused almost complete desulfation of the isolated ulvan while the other method preserved a significant degree of SO3 substituents. Elemental analysis of ash remaining after thermal degradation showed presence of common mineral elements such as Na, Ca, Mg, Al, and K, but none of the heavy metals Pb, Hg, or As.

Structure

Ulvan

Sulfation

Extraction

Composition

Ulva spp.

Author

Niklas Wahlström

Royal Institute of Technology (KTH)

Filip Nylander

Chalmers, Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Chemistry and Biochemistry

Eric Malmhäll Bah

Chalmers, Biology and Biological Engineering, Industrial Biotechnology

Karin Sjövold

Chalmers, Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Chemistry and Biochemistry

Ulrica Edlund

Royal Institute of Technology (KTH)

Gunnar Westman

Chalmers, Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Chemistry and Biochemistry

Eva Albers

Chalmers, Biology and Biological Engineering, Industrial Biotechnology

Carbohydrate Polymers

0144-8617 (ISSN)

Vol. 233 115852

Seaweed production systems with high value applications (Sweaweed)

Swedish Foundation for Strategic Research (SSF) (RBP14-0045), 2021-01-01 -- 2021-12-31.

Swedish Foundation for Strategic Research (SSF) (RBP14-0045), 2015-01-01 -- 2019-12-31.

Subject Categories

Analytical Chemistry

Polymer Technologies

Microbiology

DOI

10.1016/j.carbpol.2020.115852

PubMed

32059903

More information

Latest update

2/9/2021 6