ACS Omega· 2026Q1
Tailoring Alginate Encapsulates for Agricultural Biostimulants
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- Q1SCImago
- 2026year
Short summary
Alginate hydrogels tailored with tomato green pomace and fermented seaweed liquid fractions show increased viscosity and flow resistance, with hydrogel architecture dictating performance.
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Key points
- Alginate encapsulates were produced using ionic gelation with tomato green pomace and fermented Ascophyllum nodosum liquid fractions.
- Incorporating these bio-additives increased viscosity and promoted shear-thinning behavior in the hydrogels.
- Extended seaweed fermentation enhanced the formulations' resistance to flow.
- Hydrogel architecture, specifically network density and cross-linking, was the key factor influencing encapsulate performance, as shown by swelling measurements.
AI-generated from the title and abstract; the full text is not read.
Abstract
Abstract Alginate hydrogels have attracted considerable interest as carriers for agricultural biofertilizers due to their ability to protect and retain bioactive compounds. In this study, alginate encapsulates containing tomato green pomace and liquid fractions of fermented Ascophyllum nodosum were produced by ionic gelation and characterized using rheological, osmometric, and swelling analyses. The influence of alginate concentration, biofertilizer type, fermentation duration, and suspending medium on encapsulate behavior was investigated. All formulations exhibited shear-thinning behavior, while the incorporation of powdered tomato pomace and liquid fractions of fermented seaweed promoted stronger structural interactions within the silica fume suspending medium, resulting in higher viscosities than the corresponding unloaded encapsulates. The extended fermentation of A. nodosum further modified the physicochemical properties of the formulations and increased their resistance to flow. Although alginate encapsulates exhibited similar osmotic properties, swelling measurements revealed differences in network density and cross-linking, highlighting the dominant role of hydrogel architecture in determining encapsulate performance. These findings advance current knowledge on alginate-based encapsulation of agricultural biofertilizers and support the rational design of hydrogel carriers with tailored hydration, transport, and mechanical properties for agricultural applications.
The authors' abstract, as published at the source. ACS Omega, 2026 · DOI ↗
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Field: Agronomy and Crop Science
Agronomy and Crop ScienceAgricultural and Biological Sciences