Isolation and characterization of exopolysaccharide from Leuconostoc lactis KC117496 isolated from idli batter.

Diverse exopolysaccharide (EPS)-producing isolates were isolated from an Indian acidic fermented food (Idli) based on the colony morphology. One of the EPS-producing microflora (Leuconostoc lactis KC117496) was selected for further characterization using FT-IR, HPTLC, AFM, SEM, TGA and XRD analysis. FT-IR spectroscopy revealed the α-d-glucose nature of the EPS. HPTLC analysis confirmed the presence of only glucose monomers, indicating the glucan nature of EPS. NMR spectra revealed the presence of 95% α-(1→6) and 5% branching α-(1→3) linkages. The SEM and AFM showed smooth surfaces and compact structure. TGA results showed higher degradation temperature of 272.01°C. XRD analysis proved the 33.4% crystalline nature of the EPS. Water solubility index and water-holding capacity of EPS are 14.2±0.208% and 117±7.5%. All the above characteristics of the EPS produced by L. lactis showed that the EPS is of a good-quality polysaccharide with potential applications in the food industry.