Contents



Preface

Alginates were first used in 1883 by researcher Edward Stanford, and commercial development commenced in 1927. Alginate is a seaweed product that is a polysaccharide or carbohydrate polymer with unique properties such as biodegradability, biocompatibility, renewability, and lack of toxicity. These properties give alginates potential numerous applications in biomedical science and engineering, agriculture, drug delivery, enzyme immobilization, heavy metal removal from industrial effluents, as functional food ingredients, mineralization of organic pollution, emulsifiers, consistency enhancers, and thickening agents in cosmetic formulas. However, there are certain limitations to the industrial application of alginate. The most important of these limitations is its exponentially increasing cost with growing scale. The global production of alginates has now risen to about 40,000

Many books and papers have addressed important aspects of alginates over the years, helping to disseminate knowledge of these polymers. As alginates continue to grow and many new colleagues continue to be interested in alginate applications, a comprehensive book considering the cutting-edge technologies is a worthwhile contribution. This book presents the current knowledge and recent advances in the field of alginates to stimulate further research. It also includes both fundamental

This book is organized into eight chapters covering information on alginates and

principles and practical applications for professionals and beginners.

Chapter 1 "Nanomagnetic Polymeric Absorbent Based on Alginate and Gamma-Maghemite Synthesized In Situ for Wastewater Treatment from

Chapter 2 "Alginates - A Seaweed Product: Its Properties and Applications"

Chapter 5 "Algal Alginate in Biotechnology: Biosynthesis and Applications"

Chapter 8 "Curcumin-Alginate Mixed Nanocomposite: An Evolving Therapy

Chapter 6 "Alginate-Based Composite and Its Biomedical Applications"

Chapter 7 "Applications of Alginates in the Design and Preparation of

Chapter 4 "Alginate Metal Complexes and Their Application"

Chapter 3 "Heavy Metal Removal by Alginate Based Agriculture and Industrial

their applications. The chapters are as follows:

tonnes per year.

Metallurgical Industry"

Waste Nanocomposites"

Orodispersible Dosage Forms"

for Wound Healing"
