Sodium alginate is the sodium salt of alginic acid, a natural polysaccharide found in brown algae. It is generally used as a stabilizer and thickener in the food industry.[
Sodium alginate is a gelling and nontoxic anionic polysaccharide. The carboxylic acid groups on the alginic acid chain, renders it insoluble in water.However, converting alginic acid to its sodium form, enables it to solubilize in water easily