Excipient (pharmacologically inactive substance)

What is it?

Sodium alginate, also known as algin, is a carbohydrate product of a seaweed, Macrocystis pyrifera. Sodium alginate is used as a gel in pharmaceutical preparations. Sodium Alginate (E401) is extracted from brown seaweed. It is also used as a stabilizer, thickener and emulsifier for food products such as ice cream, yogurt, cream, and cheese. It acts as a thickener and emulsifier for salad, pudding, jam, tomato juice, and canned products. It is a hydration agent for noodles, bread, cool and frozen products. It is a cold gelling agent that needs no heat to gel. It is most commonly used with calcium lactate or calcium chloride in the spherification process.^[1][2]