Biopolymers and cell. 2006; 22 (3): 171 - 185

Ethapolan – microbial exopolysaccharide multifunctional assignment

T.P. Pirog, Yu. V. Korzh

The review summaries the data concerning the synthesis intensification, the regulation of physical and chemical properties and practical application of microbial exopolysaccharide (EPS) ethapolan (producer - Acinetobacter sp. В-7005). Ethapolan consist of the acylated (C₁₀-C₁₈ fatty acids) and non-acylated components, which are identical by the content of carbohydrates to pyruvic and glucuronic acids. The presence of fatty acids in this EPS composition causes the unique properties of the ethapolan solutions: ability to emulsify; to increase viscosity in presence of the cations, at low pH values and in Cu²⁺-glycin system. These properties determine practical ethapolan application in the oil, chemical, food industry and agriculture. The use of one tone of ethapolan in oil industry enables to obtain 240 tones of oil, in addition. The data were summarized concerning the technological parameters of this EPS biosynthesis on different carbon substrates (ethanol, carbohydrates, mixture of growth С₂-С₆-compounds), which allow decreasing the salts content in the producent cultivation medium 3-4 fold (to 2,95 g/l), to increase increasing the EPS quantity 2-5 fold and controlling simultaneously its composition and its physical and chemical properties necessary for a definite field of the ethapolan application.

Keywords:exopolysaccharides, ethapolan, intensification of synthesis, regulation of metabolism, physical and chemical properties, mixture of growth substrates, biosynthesis.