Alginates are salts of alginic acid obtained mainly from brown algae. They are natural polysaccharides that have the ability to form viscous solutions and gels in the presence of calcium ions or other divalent metals.
Due to their gelling and enveloping properties, alginates are widely used in the food industry as thickeners and stabilizers, as well as in medicine – for the treatment of gastrointestinal diseases, the manufacture of dressings and the delivery of medicines.