Uronic acid, which is a constituent sugar of alginic acid, has one carboxyl group per unit with a high ion exchange property. Binding with various cations generates unique alginate salts.
Potassium alginate is a salt in which potassium ions are bonded to the carboxyl group of alginic acid.
Its properties are very similar to those of sodium alginate. It dissolves in cold and warm water, forms a viscous aqueous solution, and gels instantaneously when in contact with polyvalent cations such as Ca2+.
It is widely used as a gelling agent in dental impressions.
Application
Food Applications
Potassium Alginate functions as a thickener, gelling agent, and a possible new material substituting for sodium alginate.
For low salt diets and sodium intake suppression, potassium alginate is in more demand than sodium alginate. For health food applications which use alginate as a dietary fiber, potassium alginate has become popular.
Suppression of Abnormally High Blood Pressure
Due to its use in health food, attention has been focused on the bioactivity of potassium alginate.
Alginate is a natural dietary fiber and is excreted without being digested, but has an effect within the body by ion-exchanging with cations prior to discharge.
According to research, potassium alginate has a much higher sodium ion adsorption capacity over other polysaccharides and the ingestion of potassium alginate actually leads to excretion of sodium from the body. The research also suggests that it is effective in suppressing hypertension.
In addition to the conventional dietary fiber effect (suppression of blood cholesterol, improvement of bowel movements, etc.), the expectations for potassium alginate as a new material which has the effect of excreting sodium from the body have certainly increased.