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Agar

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Aquatic Biopolymers

Part of the book series: Springer Series on Polymer and Composite Materials ((SSPCM))

Abstract

Agar is obtained from red algae. It occurs as a mixture of agarose and agaropectin with agarose having the more desirable properties. Its applications are mainly attributed to its rheological properties. Such applications extend to the food, biotechnology and pharmaceutical industries where it is used as a thermoreversible gelling agent, stabilizer, texture modifier and thickener. The ability to serve as a substitute additive for the animal-sourced gelatin also contributes to its economic value. In this chapter, the extraction, chemistry, occurrence in nature and applications are discussed. In the process, the economic and environmental impact of agar production is evaluated.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Chemical Engineering Department, University of Lagos, Lagos, Nigeria

    Ololade Olatunji

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  1. Ololade Olatunji
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Correspondence to Ololade Olatunji .

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Olatunji, O. (2020). Agar. In: Aquatic Biopolymers. Springer Series on Polymer and Composite Materials. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-34709-3_7

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