¿Qué es Sodium Alginate (E401)? Aplicaciones, dosis, alternativas y especificaciones

Sodium Alginate, also known as Alginic acid, sodium salt, es un natural high-molecular-weight water-soluble polysaccharide extractoed from brown algae. It es una important category of seaweed gum, with wide application value in the global industria alimentaria, pharmaceutical industry, cosmetic industry, and textile printing and dyeing industry. Its molecular formula is (C6H7O6Na)n, CAS number is 9005–38–3, EINECS number is 232–682–6, CNS number is 20.004, and INS number is 401. In terms of chemical structure, sodium alginate es un linear block copolymer composed of β-D-mannuronic acid (M-block) and α-L-guluronic acid (G-block) linked by 1,4-glycosidic bonds. The sodium alginate molecule carries a large number of carcajayl groups (-COO−), giving it anionic polyelectrolyte properties. It can undergo ionic crosslinking with divalent metal ions como calcium (Ca2+) to form a calcium alginate gel (egg-caja model). This is the most core functional characteristic of sodium alginate. Sodium alginate appears as a white to amarillo claro polvo or gránulos, almost odorless and tasteless. It is insoluble en orgánico solvents como ethanol, diethyl ether, and chloroform, but is readily soluble en agua to form a viscous colloid solución. The pH of a 1% aqueous solución is typically 6–8, and viscosidad is stable within pH 5–8. Sodium alginate solucións exhibit the shear-thinning property of non-Newtonian fluids and are relatively stable to heat, light, and air, although viscosidad decreases when solucións are heated above 85°C. Sodium alginate is hygroscopic, so care must be taken to protegen it from humedad during storage. Sodium alginate es un natural polysaccharide extractoed from the cell walls of brown algae (como kelp, giant kelp, Sargassum, and Ascophyllum). La materia prima is renewable and produced in large quantities, making sodium alginate one of the most widely used food gums globally. Sodium alginate is known as the natural multifunctional seaweed gum and is the most widely used and largest-volume variety among alginate products.

(1% aqueous solución, 20°C)

Sodium alginate se reconoce como a natural multifunctional seaweed gum, holding an irreplaceable position in the global food, pharmaceutical, daily chemical, and industrial fields. Its most outstanding core advantages lie in its unique calcium ion crosslinking gelation property, excellent thickening and stabilizing performance, and extremely wide application adaptability.