Bioactive exopolysaccharides from a S. thermophilus strain: Screening, purification and characterization.

A lactic acid bacteria strain AR333 with high-production of exopolysaccharides (EPS) was screened out from 350 bacteria strains isolated from naturally fermented dairy products. It was identified as Streptococcus thermophilus by morphological observation, physiological and biochemical characteristics, and 16S rDNA sequence determination. The EPS from AR333 were purified through DEAE-Sepharose Fast Flow and Sepharose CL-6B, and the purified fraction was designated as EPS333. In vitro test showed that EPS333 could stimulate macrophage RAW 264.7 to release NO significantly (p<0.05). The further work tried to elucidate the structural features of EPS333 via FT-IR spectrum, high-performance anion exchange chromatography (HPAEC) and high-performance size exclusion chromatography (HPSEC). The results showed that EPS333 was a pure neutral polysaccharide with monosaccharide composition of galactose and glucose in a molar ratio of 6:5. A certain amount of acetyl groups might exist in EPS333 according to the FT-IR spectrum. The molecular weight (Mw) was estimated to be 332 kDa. Current study suggested that the lactic bacteria strain AR333 could be a potential source of immunoregulatory polysaccharide.