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Agar is the hydrophilic colloidal substance extracted from
Agarophyte Gelidium, Gracilaria, and related red algae.
The red-purple seaweeds from which agar is obtained grow in
nearly all seas of the world.
Commercial agar has been shown to contain, in addition to
insoluble debris, proteinaceous material and soluble and
insoluble salts, two major separable polysaccharides:
Agarose, is a strongly gelling, non-ionic polysaccharide
which is regarded as consisting of 1,3- linked
β-D-galactopyranose and 1,4-linked 3,6-anhydro- α
-L-galattopyranose units.
Agaropectin, is a less clearly defined, more complex
polysaccharide having sulfate groups attached to it. |
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