کاراگینان

Carrageenan is a family of linear sulfated polysaccharides extracted from red edible seaweeds. It appears as a white to off-white powder or gel and is widely used in pharmaceutical and laboratory formulations for its gelling, thickening, and stabilizing properties.

🏭⚗️ Production
Carrageenan is produced by extracting red seaweeds through an aqueous process, followed by filtration to remove cellulose and other impurities. This process yields different types of carrageenan, such as kappa, iota, and lambda, each having distinct gelling and thickening characteristics suitable for pharmaceutical and laboratory applications.

🔬 Properties
Carrageenan is a high molecular weight polysaccharide composed of repeating units of galactose and anhydrogalactose, with varying degrees of sulfation. It has strong gelling properties in the presence of specific ions, acts as a thickening agent without gelling in some types, stabilizes emulsions and suspensions, and is generally biocompatible for pharmaceutical and cosmetic use.

🧪 Applications
In pharmaceutical formulations, carrageenan is used as a binder in tablets to ensure integrity and proper disintegration, as a suspending agent to maintain uniform distribution of active ingredients in liquids, and as a thickener and stabilizer in topical creams, ointments, and gels. It also facilitates controlled release of active pharmaceutical ingredients and is applied in wound care hydrogels to support healing. In laboratory studies, carrageenan serves as a model compound to induce inflammation in animal experiments, aiding in the screening of anti-inflammatory drugs.

⚠️ Safety
Carrageenan is generally recognized as safe for pharmaceutical and laboratory use. Although it is well tolerated, some studies have indicated potential gastrointestinal effects when ingested in large amounts. Therefore, standard handling procedures, including proper storage and hygiene, should always be followed to ensure safe use.