Thickening Agent

Alginic acid exists in the cytoplasm in the natural state and plays a role in strengthening the cell wall. Alginate combines with various cations in seawater to form various alginate salts. The extract obtained from seaweed is usually sodium alginate. Sodium alginate has the characteristics of thickening, suspending, emulsifying, stabilizing, forming gelatin, forming thin films and spinning fibers. It has a long and wide range of uses in food, paper making and cosmetic industries, especially in recent years, which has important applications in biomedical engineering.In the pharmaceutical industry, it is used in the manufacture of stomach capping drugs, as well as excipients, disintegrating agents, adhesives and stabilizers of tablets; It is often used as stabilizer, thickener and emulsifier in food and cosmetics

Calcium alginate is the calcium salt of alginate. Alginate is made from seaweed plants, such as Sargassum, Laminaria japonica and kelp, which are abundant in China. The main functions of calcium alginate are as follows: (1) calcium alginate sponge: calcium alginate is mainly used in the production of calcium alginate sponge, which can be used for hemostasis of skin injury and wound bleeding. When calcium alginate sponge is applied to the wound, calcium ions are exchanged with the sodium ions in the wound exudates and blood, releasing calcium ions and forming a thin layer of gel on the wound surface. Due to the release of calcium ion, the formation of blood clot in the end of capillary is accelerated, so as to achieve rapid hemostasis. Due to the formation of gel layer on wound surface, it can protect the wound and maintain a certain humidity and temperature. It can create a good microenvironment for wound healing and promote wound healing. 2) stabilizer and gelling agent: the ability and intensity of alginate forming gel are related to Ca2+. It interacts with calcium ions in milk to form calcium alginate, which causes a series of complex reactions of milk proteins. Calcium alginate can keep the shape of ice cream well, especially the ice cream kept for a long time. It is very effective to prevent shrinkage and tissue sanding. It has synergistic effect with Ca2 + and pectin（ 3) Immobilized fermentation of brewer's yeast: put brewer's yeast into the sodium alginate solution dissolved in wort, and then drop it into the calcium chloride solution dissolved in wort to form calcium alginate particles containing yeast cells and immobilize yeast cells.

Pullulan has been widely used in medicine, food, light workers, and chemical industry, and pullulan is one of the four new food additive products that can be used as a pellicle and thickener in confectionery, chocolate coating, film chips, complex flavoring families, and fruit and vegetable juice beverages. The aqueous solution of pullulan has a smooth and refreshing feeling and has the characteristic of improving taste, thus it can be used as a food quality modifier and thickener. The addition of small amounts of pullulan during food processing can significantly improve food quality. 8 for example, sorbets enhance flavor; The addition of a small amount of pullulan when making tofu can maintain the flavor of soybean and simplify the process; Soy sauce. The addition of Pullulan in small amounts to condiments, pickles, poached fish shrimps, delicious foods can stabilize its adhesiveness, increase its viscous properties and make its taste smoother.

Gluten, also known as active gluten powder, has a protein content of more than 80% and complete amino acid composition. It is a plant protein source with rich nutrition, high quality and low price. Gluten is mainly composed of Glutenin with small molecular weight, spherical shape and good extensibility, and glutenin with large molecular weight, fibrous shape and strong elasticity. When gluten powder absorbs water, it forms wet gluten with network structure, which has good viscoelasticity, extensibility, thermal setting, emulsification and Film formability. For example, gluten, roasted bran, moldy bran, ancient meat, vegetarian sausage, vegetarian chicken, vegetarian duck, oil gluten and so on in traditional products are simple applications of the above characteristics.

Oxidized hydroxypropyl starch is a kind of edible auxiliary material, which can be used as adhesive, thickener and suspending agent to increase stability. Hydroxypropyl starch is oxidized to obtain compound modified starch. Oxidized hydroxypropyl starch adjusts the viscosity of starch to the required range. Its products have low gelatinization temperature, high paste transparency, low viscosity, weak coagulability and high stability. It is an ideal paper surface sizing agent and coating adhesive. It can also be used in beverage, dairy and other industries as a thickener, It can also improve the taste of the product and has good film-forming property.