Effect of shelf life of brown algae <i style="">Sargassum wightii </i>(Fucales/Phaeophyta)<i style=""> </i>and <i style="">Turbinaria conoides</i> (Fucales/Phaeophyta)<i style=""> </i>on alginic acid yield

Abstract

108-110Two brown algae Sargassum wightii and Turbinaria conoides were collected from the shores of Mandapam, (south east coast of India) then dried in air under sun and shade separately and stored at room temperature (30±2°C) for a period of 120 days. Their alginic acid yield was determined at regular intervals of 15 days period. In sun dried Sargassum wightii, (moisture content 84.81±2.31%),slight increase in alginic acid was observed from 30 days to 105 days whereas in shade dried alga (moisture 81.17±2.19%), slight decrease in alginic acid yield was obtained on 120th day. In the case of Turbinaria conoides, depletion of alginic acid yield was more in shade dried alga (moisture 81.82±1.68%) and lesser in sun dried alga (moisture 83.96±2.5%). Therefore algae dried under direct sunlight and then stored in polythene bags increases the shelf life of above algae with respect to alginic acid content