It exists in different forms depending on the number of sulphate substituents per disaccharide unit: one in κ-carrageenan, two in ι-carrageenan and three in λ-carrageenan. They are a group of biomolecules composed of linear polysaccharide chains with sulphate half-esters attached to the sugar unit.

2016).Ĭarrageenans are commercially important hydrophilic colloids (water soluble gums) which occur as matrix material in numerous species of red seaweeds wherein they serve a structural function analogous to that of cellulose in land plants. Hydrocolloid polysaccharides (agar, alginates and carrageenans) have significant importance, both technologically and economically, since they are used in the various biotechnological industries due to their distinct physico-chemical properties (Knudsen et al. Hydrocolloids can be defined as substances that interact with water to form colloid systems. All the aspects like sources, production conditions, characterization, cloning and- biotechnological applications are summarized. In this review exhaustive information of bacterial carrageenases reported till date has been done. A comprehensive information shall be helpful for the effective understanding and application of these enzymes. They have found potential applications in biomedical field, bioethanol production, textile industry, as a detergent additive and for isolation of protoplast of algae etc. Majority of the marine bacteria produce these enzymes extracellularly and their activity is in wide range of temperature. These enzymes are produced only by bacteria specifically gram negative bacteria. They all are endohydrolases that cleave the internal β-(1–4) linkages of carrageenans yielding products of the oligo-carrageenans. Enzymes which degrade carrageenans are called k-, ι-, and λ-carrageenases. Carrageenan, one of the phycocolloids is a sulfated galactan made up of linear chains of galactose and 3,6-anhydrogalactose with alternating α-(1 → 3) and β-(1 → 4) linkages and further classified based on the number and the position of sulfated ester(s) κ-, ι- and λ-carrageenan.

Prithviraj chauhan episode 385