Abstract: The present disclosure relates to the preservation and processing of polysaccharides having gelling properties from plants. More particularly, the present disclosure provides an antioxidant rich gelling fibre from plants such as seaweed and a method for preparation of the same. The gelling fibre of the present disclosure has improved gelling and/or thickening properties as compared to fibre obtained from fresh unprocessed plant sources such as seaweed and retains the natural antioxidants present in the fresh plant. In particular, seaweed in this disclosure refers to red seaweed. The said method of the present disclosure facilitates minimization of the amount of chemicals traditionally used in such processing methods and helps preserve the naturalness of the fresh plant source. The present disclosure further provides applications of the antioxidant rich gelling fibres of the present disclosure, specifically applications in the food industry.