Alginate from Azotobacter vinelandii

Alginates are a group of polysaccharides occurring as structural components or as capsular materials in the cell wall of the brown seaweeds or soil bacteria, respectively (1 ). About 30,000 metric tons of sodium alginates per year are currently used in the food, pharmaceutical, textile and paper industries as thickening, stabilising and jellifying agents (2 ). Since only a few of the many species of brown algae are suitable and are limited in abundance and location for commercial alginate production, there is at present interest in the bacterial production of alginate-like polymers (3 –5 ).