Abstract: An integrated process for the recovery of a spectrum of commercially valuable products such as agar, cellulose, lipids, pigments and a liquid rich in minerals of agricultural importance directly from fresh seaweed without employing any catalyst driven in situ chemical conversions. Also solvents used during lipid extraction were shown to be used for three cycles without affecting the yield and quality of successive products. Furthermore, this new process is highly efficient and utilizes total seaweed raw material without any leftover biomass as solid waste.

Abstract: An integrated process for the recovery of a spectrum of commercially valuable products such as agar, cellulose, lipids, pigments and a liquid rich in minerals of agricultural importance directly from fresh seaweed without employing any catalyst driven in situ chemical conversions. Also solvents used during lipid extraction were shown to be used for three cycles without affecting the yield and quality of successive products. Furthermore, this new process is highly efficient and utilizes total seaweed raw material without any leftover biomass as solid waste.

Abstract: An integrated method is developed to utilize to a maximum extent the fresh biomass of seaweeds such as Kappaphycus alvarezii that can be crushed to release sap and where the sap is useful as a potent liquid fertilizer after suitable treatment with additives and dilution while the residue is a superior raw material for extraction of ?-carrageenan, thereby enhancing the value of the seaweed. Other advantages of the invention include a reduced drying time and drying area to obtain the raw material for ?-carrageenan production in dry and storable form, a reduced cost of transporting and storing this raw material because of its lesser bulk, easier handling due to its free flowing granular nature, and its direct use for gel preparation in certain applications.

Abstract: The present invention provides a tissue culture method for cultivation of marine algae, said method comprising the steps of (i) establishing axenic viable algal material by sequential treatment thereof in sterile sea water supplemented with domestic liquid detergent, incubating the treated material, (ii) culturing the axenic explants on agarified medium for induction of callus; (iii) excising and subculturing the calli from the axenic explants on fresh agar plates to obtain differentiated densely pigmented oval or spherical shaped micro-propagules (iv) subculturing the pigmented calli in agarified medium to achieve enhanced somatic embryogenesis and micro-propagule formation in pigmented filamentous callus, (v) transferring the filamentous calli with somatic embryos for morphogenesis and development of young plantlets; and (vi) cultivating algal biomass on a large scale by growing the young plantlets in enclosed perforated polythene bags.

Abstract: An integrated method is developed to utilise to a maximum extent the fresh biomass of seaweeds such as Kappaphycus alvarezii that can be crushed to release sap and where the sap is useful as a potent liquid fertilizer after suitable treatment with additives and dilution while the residue is a superior raw material for extraction of &kgr;-carrageenan, thereby enhancing the value of the seaweed. Other advantages of the invention include a reduced drying time and drying area to obtain the raw material for &kgr;-carrageenan production in dry and storable form, a reduced cost of transporting and storing this raw material because of its lesser bulk, easier handling due to its free flowing granular nature, and its direct use for gel preparation in certain applications.