Abstract
A seaweed with the local name “endong” is a rare eucheumoid variety that has recently been farmed in Tawi-Tawi, southern Philippines. Local farmers describe it as “eel-like” because of its long, slender and smooth thalli. Being somewhat similar in appearance to the dominantly farmed seaweed “tambalang” (Kappaphycus alvarezii var. tambalangii), farmers mix their harvests of “endong” with those of “tambalang”. We analyzed the hydrocolloid extract from “endong” using spectroscopic and chemical techniques. The extract’s infrared and nuclear magnetic resonance (1H and 13C) spectra, and sulfate and 3,6-anhydrogalactose contents revealed carrageenan of the iota-type, similar to extracts from another farmed species, Eucheuma denticulatum. This result implies that “endong” carrageenan exhibits physico-chemical properties different from those of kappa-carrageenan of “tambalang”. The findings of this study are of significance to the seaweed industry, as carrageenan quality problems could potentially arise from a mixed harvest. Seaweed farmers are advised to separate their harvests of “endong” and “tambalang”.
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Acknowledgments
We thank Ernesto-Robert Baird for help with collection of material, Edna T. Ganzon-Fortes and Helen Dayao for voucher sample keeping, and anonymous reviewers whose help greatly improved an earlier version of the manuscript. We also thank Purita dela Peña of BFAR, Alper James Alcaraz, Dang Marviluz Espita, Edwin Balbin and Lando Olivar for technical assistance. Funding for this research was provided by DA-BAR. This paper is Marine Science Institute (UP) contribution no. 371 and MSU-Tawi-Tawi contribution no. 003.
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Villanueva, R.D., Montaño, M.N.E. & Romero, J.B. Iota-carrageenan from a newly farmed, rare variety of eucheumoid seaweed—“endong”. J Appl Phycol 21, 27–30 (2009). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10811-008-9356-y
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10811-008-9356-y