Effect of grafting on the properties of kappa-carrageenan of the red seaweed Kappaphycus alvarezii (Doty) Doty ex Silva

Kappaphycus alvarezii (K. alvarezii) of India water was grafted using different colored strains namely red (R), brown (B), and green (G) to produced four intra-generically grafted plants namely RB, RG, GB, and RGB, respectively. Gel strength of the kappa-carrageenan contents obtained from the parent strains was ranged 270–350 g cm−2, while in the grafted strains it was significantly greater and was ranged 330–690 g cm−2, respectively. Results of ANOVA analysis revealed significant variations in the growth rate of alga and gelling properties of kappa-carrageenan (p < 0.05), while principal component (PCA) analysis also indicated 89% of total variance in the gelling properties of carrageenan. In this paper, we reported the first data on the effect of grafting of different colored strains on the daily growth rate of K. alvarezii in the Indian brines, as well as yield and quality of the carrageenan produced.