A water-soluble and/or water-swellable hybrid polymer comprising: (i) from 5 wt.-% to 95 wt.-% water-soluble and/or water-swellable polysaccharide polymer selected from the group consisting of xanthan gum, carrageenan, guar gum, chitosan, alginate and combinations thereof; (ii) from 5 wt.-% to 95 wt.-% synthetic polymer comprising up to 100 mol-% repeating units according to Formula (1a): ##STR00001##
wherein components (i) and (ii) are polymerized by radical precipitation polymerization in a polar solvent.

Disclosed herein are compositions and articles made therefrom, the compositions and articles comprising at least one hydrocolloid, at least one plasticizer, at least one filler and/or humectant and water. Typically, the components are derived from biological sources, such as seaweed, plants, or animals. Typically, the components are made from food quality ingredients, making the compositions and articles edible and/or biodegradable. The compositions are used to form articles, such as straws, and the articles have desirable flexibility and moisture barrier properties, such as swelling resistance, as well as biodegradability and/or compostability properties.

A capsule, especially for preparing a beverage from beverage powder, in particular of coffee from coffee powder, by introducing water into the capsule, wherein the capsule comprises a compacted pellet made of a powder containing at least one polysaccharide, wherein the compacted pellet is sheathed with at least one coating layer, wherein the at least one coating layer comprises a cross-linked polysaccharide, wherein the cross-linked polysaccharide can be obtained by cross-linking a polysaccharide with a cross-linking agent without the use of a polyol spacer.

A method for manufacturing such a capsule comprises the following steps: i) preparing a compacted pellet from a powder containing at least one polysaccharide, ii) bringing at least one part and preferably the entire surface of the compacted pellet used in step i) into contact with a solution of a polysaccharide in a solvent or with a dispersion of a polysaccharide in a dispersant, iii) when appropriate, removing of the compacted pellet from the solution or dispersion of step ii), iv) bringing the compacted pellet obtained in step ii) or iii) into contact with at least one cross-linking agent, v) when appropriate, removing the compacted pellet from the solution of step iv) and vi) drying of the compacted pellet obtained in step iv) or v).

Provided are natural seaweed composite materials comprising one or more insoluble fibers and carrageenan associated with the insoluble fiber. The natural seaweed composite materials are produced by methods comprising high pressure homogenization which maintains the natural complex structure of the insoluble fiber and the carrageenan as in natural unprocessed seaweeds.

Through sourcing net-primary productivity additive algae-based biomass feedstock, the exclusive use of renewable energy in processing, and the appropriate formulation and processing, a novel algae-derived bio-based plastic is both carbon-negative and provides some performance advantages over existing algae-based film plastics especially with regard to optical clarity. A system may be provided that produces a carbon-negative bioplastic. The production of the bioplastic in a process chamber may be controlled by an electronic controller. The electronic controller may be controlled by a host system, such a server. The electronic controller may be configured to direct production of the bioplastic in the process chamber using hydrocolloid, which is derived from algae.

A carrageenan derivative according to the present disclosure can quickly and easily detect and label the presence of inflammation-related macrophages and, particularly, can accurately and easily identify M1-type macrophages highly associated with early inflammation. In addition, the carrageenan derivative has advantages in that it can be produced easily, environmental pollution is minimized because a small amount of organic solvent is used, and initial cost is low.

A water-soluble and/or water-swellable hybrid polymer comprising: (i) from 5 wt.-% to 95 wt.-% water-soluble and/or water-swellable polysaccharide polymer; (ii) from 5 wt.-% to 95 wt.-% synthetic polymer comprising: (a) from 90 mol-% to 99.9 mol-%, preferably 95 mol-% to 99.5 mol-% of repeating units according to Formula (1) ##STR00001## (b) from 0.01 mol-% to 10 mol-%, preferably to 5 mol-%, more preferably to 3 mol-% of crosslinking or branching units, wherein the crosslinking or branching units result from the incorporation of a monomer comprising at least two olefinically unsaturated double bonds;
wherein components (i) and (ii) are polymerized by radical precipitation polymerization in a polar solvent.

The invention relates to a method for producing a hydrocolloid with an improved water-binding ability in which the hydrocolloid is treated in a mixture with water in a high pressure homogenization process at at least 100 MPa.

A water-soluble and/or water-swellable hybrid polymer comprising: (i) from 5 wt.-% to 95 wt.-% water-soluble and/or water-swellable polysaccharide polymer; (ii) from 5 wt.-% to 95 wt.-% synthetic polymer comprising: (a) from 40 mol-% to 99.9 mol-% repeating units according to Formula (1) ##STR00001## (b) from 0.01 mol-% to 5 mol-% crosslinking or branching units, wherein the crosslinking or branching units result from the incorporation of a monomer comprising at least two olefinically unsaturated double bonds; (c) from 0.01 mol-% to 88.51 mol-% of neutral structural units; (d) from 1.98 mol-% to 20 mol-% of anionic structural units, wherein the repeating anionic structural units result from the incorporation of a monomer comprising at least one carboxylate anion, and wherein the repeating anionic structural units are different from units (a);
wherein components (i) and (ii) are polymerized by radical precipitation polymerization in a polar solvent.

The present invention discloses a matrix comprising a modified polysaccharide consisting of repeating disaccharide units whereby in at least 11% of the disaccharide units one primary alcohol group is oxidized into a carboxylic acid group.