홍조류 유래 한천의 구조적 특성 및 고부가가치화를 위한 당화 기술

초록

Red macroalgae are receiving attention as a sustainable third-generation biomass owing to their high carbohydrate content, rapid growth, and absence of lignin. Agar is one of the major polysaccharides in red macroalgae, composed of agarose and agaropectin and acting a carbon source. Agarose consists of repeating units of D-galactose (D-Gal) and 3,6-anhydro-L-galactose (L-AHG), which are valuable monosaccharides for biorefinery applications. D-Gal is a common sugar; however, L-AHG is a rare sugar unique to red algae, which has attracted interest because of its diverse bioactive properties. However, L-AHG is unstable under acidic and high-temperature conditions and often further degrades or converts to byproducts, which reduces its yield during saccharification. This review highlights the structural characteristics of agar and discusses the recent developments in depolymerizing agar through chemical and enzymatic hydrolysis. D-Gal and L-AHG must be efficiently produced for not only the functional use of L-AHG but also enabling microbial fermentation and chemical conversion into biofuels, bioplastics, and pharmaceutical precursors. This review provides a comprehensive overview of agar valorisation as part of an integrated marine biorefinery approach by comparing traditional and emerging saccharification strategies.

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