Journal
JOURNAL OF APPLIED PHYCOLOGY
Volume 21, Issue 4, Pages 443-450Publisher
SPRINGER
DOI: 10.1007/s10811-008-9389-2
Keywords
Agar; Cultivation; Gracilaria gracilis; Gracilaria tenuistipitata; Gracilariopsis bailiniae; Salinity
Funding
- Russian Foundation for Basic Research [06-04-39010]
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Three gracilarioid species, Gracilariopsis bailiniae and Gracilaria tenuistipitata from Vietnam and Gracilaria gracilis from Russia, were studied in order to determine whether Gracilaria gracilis might be a superior species for cultivation in brackish-water ponds for agar production compared with the Vietnamese species. The effects of different salinity levels on the growth rate and agar production as well as agar properties of three gracilarioid species were compared in controlled laboratory experiments. Gracilaria tenuistipitata and G. gracilis were tolerant to low salinity (similar to 10aEuro degrees), whereas Gp. bailiniae died under these conditions. G. tenuistipitata showed superior growth among the three species examined. Gracilaria gracilis had the highest agar content [36.8-46.6% dry weight (dw)]. Agar yield from Vietnamese gracilarioids did not exceed 30% dw. Gel strength of native agar from Gracilaria gracilis was two-fold higher that from Vietnamese species (278 g cm(-2) vs 130 g cm(-2)). Alkali pretreatment increased gel strength significantly for Gracilaria gracilis (1.4-fold), and G. tenuistipitata and Gp. bailiniae (2.3-fold) compared with native agar. The results suggest that Gracilaria gracilis may be a suitable species for production of reasonably good quality agar.
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