Effect of Isolation Method on Characteristics of Microcrystalline Cellulose from Brown Seaweed Sargassum vulgare

Abstract

Microcrystalline cellulose (MCC) has been reported to be purely derived from depolymerized cellulose which forms crystals. Therefore, this study aims to determine the characteristics of MCC samples which were in form of powder and alginate residues of Sargassum vulgare, hydrolyzed with acid and enzymes. The observed characteristics included yield, water content, ash content, pH, solubility, functional groups, and crystallinity index. Furthermore, the results showed that the MCC from acid-hydrolyzed seaweed powder and alginate residue, as well as enzymatically hydrolyzed seaweed powder and alginate residue each, had a yield of 3.83±2.74%, 5.66±1.52%, 10.03±2.58%, and 17.17±3.50%, crystallinity index of 91.37%, 80.26%, 84.67%, and 81.90%, water content of 4.92±1.85%, 4.92±1.11%, 3.88±2.01%, and 3.58±0.40%, ash content of 13.88±0.12%, 3.49±0.13%, 9.86±0.17%, and 7.43±0.09%, pH of 5.13±0.38, 5±0.1; 5.7±0.17, and 5.97±0.06, and solubility of 22.82±1.20%, 23.73±1.09%, 19.12±3.55%, and 21.10±1.48%, respectively. The functional group analysis showed that there were similarities with the standard Avicel PH101. Also, water content and pH meet the requirements according to the Handbook of Pharmaceutical Excipients, while solubility and ash content does not meet these requirements. However, the results of enzymatic hydrolysis were better than acid hydrolysis, and samples from alginate residues had better results than seaweed powder. Considering these results, the best MCC was obtained from enzymatically hydrolyzed alginate residue with a yield, water content, ash content, pH, solubility, and crystallinity index of 17.17±3.50%, 3.58±0.40, 7.43±0.09, 5.97±0.06, 21.10±1.48, and 81.90%.