Open Access

ARTICLE

Comparative Characterization of Carrageenan Extracted KOH Treatment and Commercially Available Counterparts

Manda Vais Jatul Fitri¹, Melbi Mahardika^2,3,4,*, Yuni Kusumastuti^1,*, Mochamad Asrofi⁵

1 Chemical Engineering Department, Faculty of Engineering, Universitas Gadjah Mada, Jl. Grafika 2, Yogyakarta, Indonesia
2 Research Center for Biomass and Bioproducts, National Research and Innovation Agency of Indonesia (BRIN), Serpong, South Tangerang, Banten, Indonesia
3 Division of Bioresource Technology, School of Industrial Technology, Universiti Sains Malaysia, Penang, Malaysia
4 Research Collaboration Center for Nanocellulose, BRIN-Andalas University, Padang, West Sumatra, Indonesia
5 Department of Mechanical Engineering, University of Jember, Jember, East Java, Indonesia

* Corresponding Authors: Melbi Mahardika. Email: ; Yuni Kusumastuti. Email:

Journal of Renewable Materials 2026, 14(5), 6 https://doi.org/10.32604/jrm.2026.02025-0197

Received 22 October 2025; Accepted 29 January 2026; Issue published 28 May 2026

Abstract

The development of seaweed-derived products, particularly carrageenan, is increasingly prioritized in Indonesia to support sustainability and strengthen the local economy. Despite extensive studies on carrageenan extraction, systematic comparisons between locally extracted carrageenan and specific local commercial products remain limited. This study addresses this gap by directly comparing carrageenan extracted from Eucheuma cottonii harvested in Lombok, Indonesia, with a locally produced commercial carrageenan as a quality benchmark. Carrageenan extraction was performed using alkaline KOH treatment followed by ethanol precipitation. The extracted carrageenan exhibited a relatively high viscosity (61.16 cP) and a low sulfate content (11.58%). FTIR analysis confirmed the presence of sulfate ester groups and 3,6-anhydrogalactose units, indicating a κ-carrageenan structure. In addition, the extracted carrageenan exhibited a crystallinity index of 31.27% and a gel strength of 539 Pa. The yield, rheological behavior, and total phenolic content (TPC) were also evaluated. Notably, the extracted carrageenan demonstrated structural and functional properties comparable to those of the local commercial product. These findings provide direct evidence that carrageenan derived from Indonesian seaweed meets commercial performance benchmarks, highlighting its potential as a sustainable, competitive raw material for pharmaceutical applications as well as drug delivery.

---

Keywords

---