Many red algal species produce different types of carrageenans during their developmental history. Higher levels of ester sulfate lower the solubility temperature of the carrageenan and produce lower strength gels, or contribute to gel inhibition (lambda carrageenan). The primary differences that influence the properties of kappa, iota, and lambda carrageenan are the number and position of the ester sulfate groups on the repeating galactose units. Lambda does not gel, and is used to thicken dairy products.

It is produced mainly from Eucheuma denticulatum. Iota forms soft gels in the presence of calcium ions.It is sourced mainly from Kappaphycus alvarezii. Kappa forms strong, rigid gels in the presence of potassium ions, and reacts with dairy proteins.There are three main commercial classes of carrageenan: They are widely used in the food and other industries as thickening and stabilizing agents.ДЄll carrageenans are high-molecular-weight polysaccharides and mainly made up of alternating 3-linked b-D-galac- topyranose (G-units) and 4-linked a-D-galactopyranose (D-units) or 4-linked 3,6-anhydro-a-D-galactopyranose (DA-units), forming the disaccharide repeating unit of carrageenans. This gives them the ability to form a variety of different gels at room temperature. The molecular structures of different types of carrageenanД¬arrageenans are large, highly flexible molecules that form curling helical structures. Carrageenan, along with agar, are used to produce traditional jelly desserts in the Philippines called gulaman. The global top producers of carrageenan are the Philippines and Indonesia. for carrageenan was developed in the Philippines. The first industrial scale commercial cultivation of Eucheuma and Kappaphycus spp. There is no clinical evidence for carrageenan as an unsafe food ingredient, mainly because its fate after digestion is inadequately determined. Carrageenan is a vegetarian and vegan alternative to gelatin in some applications, so may be used to replace gelatin in confectionery and other food. Gelatinous extracts of the Chondrus crispus seaweed have been used as food additives since approximately the fifteenth century. Kappa-carrageenan has one sulfate group per disaccharide, iota-carrageenan has two, and lambda-carrageenan has three. They can be mainly categorized into three different classes based on their sulfate content. Д¬arrageenans contain 15-40% ester- sulfate content, which makes them anionic polysaccharides. They have been mainly used for tissue engineering, wound coverage and drug delivery. In recent years, carrageenans have emerged as a promising candidate in tissue engineering and regenerative medicine applications as they resemble native glycosaminoglycans (GAGs).

Their main application is in dairy and meat products, due to their strong binding to food proteins.

Carrageenans are widely used in the food industry, for their gelling, thickening, and stabilizing properties. The most well-known and still most important red seaweed used for manufacturing the hydrophilic colloids to produce carrageenan is Chondrus crispus (Irish moss) which is a dark red parsley-like plant that grows attached to the rocks. Although further research is needed, the concept of a physical barrier capable of reducing viral penetration of epithelial cells in the nasal mucosa is appealing, and could lead to alternative approaches, with positive impact on global health.Carrageenans or carrageenins ( / ЛЊ k Г¦r Й™ Л€ ЙЎ iЛђ n Й™ n z/ KARR-Й™- GHEE-nЙ™nz from Irish carraigГnВ 'little rock') are a family of natural linear sulfated polysaccharides that are extracted from red edible seaweeds. The results show it has potent antiviral activity compared to placebo and a favorable safety profile. In total, the research provided four articles regarding clinical trials for comparing iota-carrageenan nasal spray with placebo. This systematic review was conducted through research in Cochrane Database, PubMed, Science Direct, SpringerLink, Oxford Journals, Elsevier, ClinicalKey, Wiley Online Library, Embase databases, in order to collect randomized and controlled clinical trials. This systematic review of the literature aims to compare the effectiveness of an iota-carrageenan nasal spray to placebo. Iota-carrageenan is a polysaccharide that reveals antiviral activity by binding to viruses, inhibiting its replications and, consequently, its viral propagation. The main purpose of the treatment is the relief of symptoms however, the medication is often associated with adverse effects. Although benign, its symptoms result in economic burden and can lead to severe or even fatal complications in children, elderly and groups with comorbidities. The common cold is one of the most frequent viral infections in humans.

Iota carrageenan nasal spray