Open AccessBacterial Extracellular Polymers: A Review
Author(s) -
Hemlata Sharma,
Jyoti Pal,
Deepesh Kumar Neelam
Publication year - 2021
Publication title -
journal of pure and applied microbiology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.149
H-Index - 16
eISSN - 2581-690X
pISSN - 0973-7510
DOI - 10.22207/jpam.15.3.28
Subject(s) - extracellular polymeric substance , biofilm , biochemical engineering , bacteria , chemistry , extraction (chemistry) , polymer , nanotechnology , biology , materials science , organic chemistry , engineering , genetics
Prokaryotic microbial cells especially bacteria are highly emphases for their exopolysaccharides (EPS) production. EPS are the higher molecular weight natural extracellular compounds observe at the surface of the bacterial cells. Nowadays bacterial EPS represent rapidly emerging as new and industrially important biomaterials because it having tremendous physical and chemical properties with novel functionality. Due to its industrial demand as well as research studies the different extraction processes have been discovered to remove the EPS from the microbial biofilm. The novelties of EPS are also based on the microbial habitat conditions such as higher temperature, lower temperature, acidic, alkaliphilic, saline, etc. Based on its chemical structure they can be homopolysaccharide or heteropolysaccharide. EPSs have a wide range of applications in various industries such as food, textile, pharmaceutical, heavy metal recovery, agriculture, etc. So, this review focus on the understanding of the structure, different extraction processes, biosynthesis and genetic engineering of EPS as well as their desirable biotechnological applications.