Researchers form the Biochemical Engineering Research Lab at UCIBIO-NOVA, demonstrated for the first time the ability of a marine bacterium, Alteromonas macleodii Mo169, to grow on apple pulp waste, a low-cost feedstock, as sole substrate, and secrete high amounts of a novel exopolysaccharide. The results of this research work were published in the journal Environmental Technology & Innovation: “Exopolysaccharide production by the marine bacterium Alteromonas macleodii Mo169 using fruit pulp waste as the sole carbon source”.
Higher cell growth and exopolysaccharide (EPS) production were achieved from the glucose- and fructose-rich apple pulp waste, compared to the use of glucose alone. Also, alterations in the exopolysaccharide composition were noticed, which opens the possibility for the discovery of new polysaccharides with unique compositions and properties by implementing different cultivation conditions. The presence of glucosamine, galacturonic acid, and sulphate in the exopolysaccharide composition is often associated with biological activities, thus, biotechnological value. Moreover, the secreted polysaccharide conferred a high apparent viscosity to the cultivation broth. Given these features, the exopolysaccharide is worth exploiting for a variety of applications, including in the pharmaceutical, cosmetic, food, or petroleum sectors. Thus, not only does this study contribute to the valorization of wastes and the reduction of EPS production costs, but also provides evidence of the high potential of marine resources as producers of exopolysaccharides with unusual compositions with high-value applications.
Article:
Exopolysaccharide production by the marine bacterium Alteromonas macleodii Mo169 using fruit pulp waste as the sole carbon source
Patrícia Concórdio-Reis, Bruno Serafim, João R. Pereira, Xavier Moppert, Jean Guézennec, Maria A. M. Reis and Filomena Freitas
Environmental Technology & Innovation