17 Future Perspectives
359
Table 17.1 Summary of aquatic polymers covered within this book
Polymer
Source
Applications
(existing/potential)
Repeating unit
Cellulose
Aquatic plants
and algae
Textiles, biofuel, paper,
nanomaterials
Glucose
Chitin
Crustaceans, fish
scales, fungi
Water treatment,
antimicrobial, packaging
films, biomedical sutures,
antioxidant, chelation,
paper, antiacne,
antiwrinkle
Acetyl glucosamine
Alginate
Brown algae
Food additives, textile
printing, tissue
engineering
Mannuronic acid and
guluronic acid
Fucoidan
Brown algae
Anticancer, tissue
engineering,
antipathogenic,
anticoagulant,
antiinflammatory
Fucose, xylose, ribose
Ulvan
Green algae
Immune modulation,
antioxidant, anticancer,
anticoagulant
Sulfated rhamnose and
xylose
disaccharide/glucuronic
acid
Starch
Aquatic plants
and algae
Food thickener, biofuel,
bioplastics
Glucose
Laminarin
Brown algae
Anticancer, biofuel,
immunomodulatory
Glucose
Polyester (cutin)
Aquatic plants
Bioplastics, sunscreen
agent
C16 and C18
ester-linked fatty acids
Agar
Red algae
Tissue culture, gelling
agent
Galactose and
l-galactopyranose
Carrageenan
Red algae
Gelling agent,
toothpastes
Galactose and
d-galactopyranose
Collagen
Fish, jellyfish,
squids
Topical agents, tissue
engineering, drug
delivery
Amino acids
Enzymes
Fish viscera,
fungi, bacteria,
algae, aquatic
plants
Biofuel catalysts, food
processing
Amino acids