Chiroptical characterization of homopolymeric block fractions in alginates.

Homopolymannuronic and homopolyguluronic fractions were obtained by partial hydrolysis of the alkaline extracts from the brown seaweeds Ascoseira mirabilis, Desmarestia menziessi, Desmarestia ligulata and Durvillaea sp. collected in southern Chile. Full characterization of the fractions was achieved by FT-IR and NMR spectroscopy.