The Effect of Temperature and Solvent Concentration on Chemical and Physical Properties of Carrageenan from Gracilaria gracilis

Erawati, Emi
Fatoni, Rois
Hamid, Hamid
Noviasari, Tri

The Journal of Pure and Applied Chemistry Research
Vol. 14 No. 1 (2025): Edition January-April 2025

Carrageenan is a polysaccharide extracted from seaweed sap using either air or an alkaline solution, such as Gracilaria gracilis. It functions as a thickening, emulsifying, suspending, and stabilizing agent. This paper reports the effect of KOH concentrations and temperatures on the extraction, in addition to determining the physical and chemical properties of the seaweed. A dried G. gracilis was soaked in distilled water for 24 hours and heated at 85°C for two hours. It was found the fat content was 3.56%, protein content 17.68%, moisture content 1.984%, and ash content of 26.547%. The highest values for water holding capacity (WHC) were 4.07 g/g, oil holding capacity (OHC) 3.539 g/g, swelling capacity (SC) at 1.894 mL/g, solubility index (SI) at 10.843 g/100g, emulsifying activity (EA) at 73.483%, and pH at 7.520.