In the last two years, the trend has been maintained, with 776 scientific publications in 2018 and 786 scientific publications in 2019, and 265 scientific publications until April 2020. Figure 1 shows the number of publications (reviews and research articles) retrieved in the ISI Web of Knowledge with the keyword “carrageenan” from 1970 to the present, evidencing the growing interest in CGs since the 1990s, when the volume of scientific publications on these polysaccharides began to grow. ĭue to their biocompatibility, high molecular weight, high viscosity, and gelling capacity, these polymers have gained great importance in recent decades not only in the food industry but also in medical, pharmaceutical, and biotechnological research.

The toxicological aspects of CGs have been thoroughly evaluated and they have been established to have minimal or no adverse physiological effects. Carrageenan (E-407) and semi-refined carrageenan (E407a) have been approved by the European Food Safety Authority as food additives. CGs are “Generally Recognized As Safe” (GRAS) by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) since 1973 (FDA SCOGS (Select Committee on GRAS Substances). There is also archaeological evidence showing that the Chinese used carrageenan-bearing macroalgae, such as Gigartina spp., for similar purposes in around 600 B.C.ĬG were initially used as a thickening agent in the food industry, and due to their gelling, emulsifying, and stabilizing properties have been utilized until the present day in a wide range of fields. The first types of CG were obtained from Chondrus crispus, which was used for animal feed and medicinal purposes. “Carrigan or carrageen” is a common name throughout Ireland meaning “little rock”. The word “carrageen” was introduced around 1829, and probably came from Carrigan Head in Co. The use of CGs was first described in Ireland in the early 19th century. Ĭarrageenans are linear sulphated polysaccharides that are extracted from various genera of red algae in the Florideophyceae class: Agardhiella, Chondrus crispus, Eucheuma, Furcellaria, Gigartina, Hypnea, Iridaea, Sarconema, and Solieria. These polysaccharides are considered the most widely studied red algae polysaccharides. The main components of the cell walls of red seaweed are carrageenans (CGs) and represent between 30% and 75% of the algal dry weight. The content of polysaccharide present in seaweed is high, accounting for more than 50% of the dry weight. The marine plant polysaccharides, specifically the seaweed polysaccharides, are considered the most abundant polysaccharides in marine organisms, and they are widely distributed in the ocean, from tidal level to considerable depths, free-floating or anchored. Marine polysaccharides are the priority focus in the study of biopolymers due to their crucial importance in view of their sources and their easy acquisition as a renewable resource. Biopolymers have been used for decades in the food and cosmetic industry, and in recent years have been studied in pharmaceutical applications as functional excipients, bioactive ingredients, and in tissue engineering. Due to their chemical composition, physical behavior, wide variety, and relatively low cost, these renewable resources have aroused great interest in the pharmaceutical, biomedical, cosmetic, and food industry. īiopolymers are polymers produced from natural sources and can be biosynthesized from living organisms, such as algae, or chemically synthesized from biological material. The oceans make up the majority of the Earth’s surface and host a wide range of marine organisms that supply a rich deposit of very valuable material resources, including algae, crustaceans, and other microorganisms that provide compounds called marine biopolymers, which are distributed in three important groups: polysaccharides, proteins, and lipids.

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