202
9 Laminarins
such as heating and powering turbines for the generation of electricity. This way the
waste produced is utilized in powering the process.
Laminarin is considered as the secondary biopolymer of brown algae where alginate is the primary biopolymer with well-established commercial application. Extraction of laminarin alongside alginate and fucoidan in a coextraction process will allow
optimal utilization of the brown algae biomass according to reported studies. The
very important environmental impact of these polymers lies in their serving as alternatives to the non-renewable sourced polymers in similar applications. However, the
limitations lie in the cost and materials for production as well as high-cost additional
stages such as ultrafiltration. The unique bioactive properties of laminarin could boost
its commercial viability as a high-value product required in lower quantity. Table 9.1
gives a summary of typical consumptions in a laminarin extraction process.
9.7 Applications
Laminarin has been explored for a range of applications which includes the production of bioethanol, animal feed and in food processing. The commercial value of
biopolymers is significantly increased when they possess bioactive properties. This
way they can be sold at low volume and high price. This is more profitable compared
to other non-bioactive applications where they are used as feedstock and required
in much larger amounts and at a lower cost. Brown algae as a whole have been
consumed for centuries in the Asian countries such as Japan, China and Korea as
food or medicinal preparations. The algae in general were believed to have several
health benefits. The goal of modern medicine is the isolation and purification of
the compounds within the algae which have these bioactive properties for optimal
effectiveness. Furthermore, separation of these bioactive compounds from the other
component of the algae allows optimal utilization of all the parts of the algae for
multiple potentially high-value products. For example, extracts of E. bicyclis have
anticancer, antiallergic and also have some benefits to the cardiovascular system, in
particular prevention of undesirable blood clot in the blood vessels through inhibiting pathways which lead to platelet formation and thrombosis (Irfan et al. 2018). As
these extracts contain a mixture of compounds, separation of these combines could
identify what compounds have specific effects and contribute to optimal use of this
aquatic resource.
9.7.1 Bioethanol Production
The ability to produce ethanol from laminarin is significant in the sense that it provides
an alternative non-food source for ethanol production. Compared to other glucose
sources such as corn and sugarcane which are used more commonly for commercial
ethanol production, laminarin from algae source does not compete with staple foods
9 Laminarins
such as heating and powering turbines for the generation of electricity. This way the
waste produced is utilized in powering the process.
Laminarin is considered as the secondary biopolymer of brown algae where alginate is the primary biopolymer with well-established commercial application. Extraction of laminarin alongside alginate and fucoidan in a coextraction process will allow
optimal utilization of the brown algae biomass according to reported studies. The
very important environmental impact of these polymers lies in their serving as alternatives to the non-renewable sourced polymers in similar applications. However, the
limitations lie in the cost and materials for production as well as high-cost additional
stages such as ultrafiltration. The unique bioactive properties of laminarin could boost
its commercial viability as a high-value product required in lower quantity. Table 9.1
gives a summary of typical consumptions in a laminarin extraction process.
9.7 Applications
Laminarin has been explored for a range of applications which includes the production of bioethanol, animal feed and in food processing. The commercial value of
biopolymers is significantly increased when they possess bioactive properties. This
way they can be sold at low volume and high price. This is more profitable compared
to other non-bioactive applications where they are used as feedstock and required
in much larger amounts and at a lower cost. Brown algae as a whole have been
consumed for centuries in the Asian countries such as Japan, China and Korea as
food or medicinal preparations. The algae in general were believed to have several
health benefits. The goal of modern medicine is the isolation and purification of
the compounds within the algae which have these bioactive properties for optimal
effectiveness. Furthermore, separation of these bioactive compounds from the other
component of the algae allows optimal utilization of all the parts of the algae for
multiple potentially high-value products. For example, extracts of E. bicyclis have
anticancer, antiallergic and also have some benefits to the cardiovascular system, in
particular prevention of undesirable blood clot in the blood vessels through inhibiting pathways which lead to platelet formation and thrombosis (Irfan et al. 2018). As
these extracts contain a mixture of compounds, separation of these combines could
identify what compounds have specific effects and contribute to optimal use of this
aquatic resource.
9.7.1 Bioethanol Production
The ability to produce ethanol from laminarin is significant in the sense that it provides
an alternative non-food source for ethanol production. Compared to other glucose
sources such as corn and sugarcane which are used more commonly for commercial
ethanol production, laminarin from algae source does not compete with staple foods