Production of semi-refined carrageenan from locally available red seaweed, Eucheuma cottonii on a laboratory scale

O. Normah* and I. Nazarifah*

Abstract

Procedures for the production of semi-refined carrageenan (SRC) from local red seaweed, Eucheuma cottonii involved pre-treatment, alkali extraction, neutralisation, drying and grinding. The optimal conditions for pre-treatment involved washing the dried seaweed under running water for 2 minutes. For alkaline extraction, the optimum conditions were extraction using potassium hydroxide at pH 13 for 1 hour at temperature of 80 °C followed by neutralisation whereby the SRC was soaked in water (1:3) for 4 hours followed by second soaking overnight. Drying can be carried out using a choice of three optimal conditions namely drying at 70 °C for 5 hours, 60 °C for 8 hours or 50 °C for 24 hours. The SRC produced had physical and chemical properties comparable to the purity specifications of the EEC Council Directive (78/663/EEC)(1978) that is specifications for pure carrageenan.

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