Isolation, characterisation and fermentation optimisation of glucansucrase-producing Leuconostoc mesenteroides DRP105 from sauerkraut with improved preservation stability

Structural and functional characterization of exopolysaccharide from Leuconostoc citreum BH10 discovered in birch sap

In this study, Leuconostoc citreum BH10, an endophytic strain, was isolated from aseptically collected xylem sap of birch for the first time, and its exopolysaccharide (LCEPS) production was up to 46.31 g/L in glucan producing medium. The produced LCEPS was purified to obtain two water-soluble fractions, named as LCEPS-1 and LCEPS-2, respectively. The major fraction LCEPS-1 was characterized to be comprised of glucose with average molecular weight of 6.34 × 106 Da. The structure of LCEPS-1 was investigated by spectroscopy analysis, which revealed that LCEPS-1 was identified with containing 90.45 % α-(1,6) linkages in the main chains and 9.55 % α-(1,3) branch linkages. The scanning electron microscope results demonstrated that the dried LCEPS-1 appeared porous surface overlaid with an irregular glittering. The water solubility index (WSI) and water holding capacity (WHC) of LCEPS-1 were 88.02 ± 1.69 % and 241.43 ± 6.38 %, respectively. Besides, it exhibited high thermal stability as well as fine antioxidant activities. Taken together, the results indicated that LCEPS-1 could have good potentiality to be applied in fields of foods, cosmetics, nutraceuticals and pharmaceutical industries as the natural agent.

Optimization of cultivation strategy and medium for bacteriocin activity of Enterococcus faecium HDX-2

A lactic acid bacteria (LAB) isolated from pickled Chinese cucumber was screened for bacteriocin production. The strain was identified to be Enterococcus faecium HDX-2. Based on the Plackett-Burman (PB) experiment, glucose, Ca²⁺, and initial pH were found to be the most significant parameters of bacteriocin production. Afterward, effects of the three main parameters on bacteriocin activity were further investigated by central composite design (CCD) and the optimum composition was glucose 22 g/L, Ca²⁺ 0.6 mM, and initial pH 7.2. Optimum results showed that bacteriocin activity was increased to 1337.60 ± 36.71 AU/mL, 2.23-fold higher than in MRS medium without parameters optimization. The bacteriocin also showed significant antimicrobial activity against Listeria monocytogenes in meat and cheese model system.

An overview of functional genomics and relevance of glycosyltransferases in exopolysaccharide production by lactic acid bacteria

There are many reports on exopolysaccharides of lactic acid bacteria (LAB EPS) such as isolation, production and applications. The LAB EPS have been proved to exhibit significantly improved texture and rheological properties in order to prevent syneresis of fermented foods. Furthermore, they are known to have many biological properties such as mouthwatering flavors, antioxidant activity, cholesterol lowering and antimicrobial activities. Considering their GRAS status, LAB EPS need to be explored for better titre and improved biological properties, where strain improvement by genetic engineering has a major role for making tailor-made EPS. The genetic overview of the EPS production by LAB is an auxiliary area of interest as the process and the biosynthetic pathway involves numerous genes and their proteins. Among them Glycosyltransferases (gtfs) are the key enzymes involved in EPS biosynthesis. Current knowledge of gtfs of LAB and its manipulation is limited. The present review spotlights the importance of glycosyltransferases and their specific role on the biosynthesis of LAB EPS and addresses the functionality and applicability of these enzymes and their products. It enfold the available literature including some patents in recent past to underline the fact that glycosyltransferases are un-reluctantly the key proteins involved in the EPS biosynthesis.

Statistical optimization of exopolysaccharide production by Leuconostoc pseudomesenteroides JF17 from native Atlantic Forest juçara fruit

Leuconostoc pseudomesenteroides belongs to a group of lactic acid bacteria normally isolated from fruits, which has the capacity to produce exopolysaccharides (EPS). The present study aimed to optimize the EPS production of L. pseudomesenteroides JF17, isolated from juçara fruits (palm trees threatened with extinction in the Atlantic Forest), using the response surface methodology (RSM), besides evaluating the fermentation kinetics. The maximum production of EPS 53.77 mg/mL was obtained under ideal conditions of MRS broth supplemented with sucrose at 18%, w/v, fermentation temperature of 20 °C and initial pH of 7.30. The Luedeking-Piret model suggested that the production of EPS by the JF17 strain appeared to be associated with the cell growth of the microorganism, in addition to having high efficiency in the production of the polysaccharide from the substrate (Y_p/s = 17.85 ± 0.74 mg EPS/log CFU ). Thus, the ideal optimization conditions and kinetic parameters can be useful for increasing the scale up of the fermentation process in the industrial production of EPS by L. pseudomesenteroides JF17.

Functional Identification of the Dextransucrase Gene of Leuconostoc mesenteroides DRP105

Leuconostoc mesenteroides DRP105 isolated from Chinese sauerkraut juice is an intensive producer of dextran. We report the complete genome sequence of Leu. mesenteroides DRP105. This strain contains a dextransucrase gene (dsr) involved in the production of dextran, possibly composed of glucose monomers. To explore the dextran synthesis mechanism of Leu. mesenteroides DRP105, we constructed a dsr-deficient strain derived from Leu. mesenteroides DRP105 using the Cre-loxP recombination system. The secondary structure prediction results showed that Leu. mesenteroides DRP105 dextransucrase (Dsr) was coded by dsr and contained 17.07% α-helices, 29.55% β-sheets, 10.18% β-turns, and 43.20% random coils. We also analyzed the dextran yield, monosaccharide change, organic acid, and amino-acid content of Leu. mesenteroides DRP105 and Leu. mesenteroides DRP105−Δdsr. The result showed that the lack of dsr changed the Leu. mesenteroides DRP105 sugar metabolism pathway, which in turn affected the production of metabolites.

Extraction and characterization of dextran from Leuconostoc pseudomesenteroides YB-2 isolated from mango juice

An exopolysaccharide (EPS)-producing strain of YB-2 isolated from mango juice was identified as Leuconostoc pseudomesenteroides. The molecular weight (Mw) of this EPS was 7.67×10⁵ Da. Gas chromatography (GC) analysis confirmed the presence of only glucose monomers. Fourier transform infrared (FT-IR) spectroscopy and nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectra displayed the glucan nature of the EPS with 96.8% α-(1→6) and 3.2% branching α-(1→3) linkages. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) showed smooth surfaces and compact structure. The water solubility index (WSI) and water-holding capacity (WHC) of dextran were 97.48±2.46% and 287.51±7.93%, respectively. The rheological analysis of dextran elucidated a non-Newtonian pseudoplastic behavior. The dextran revealed an inhibitory activity against Escherichia coli and Staphylococcus aureus with minimal inhibitory concentrations (MIC) of 2.0 mg/mL and 3.0 mg/mL, respectively.

Optimization and partial characterization of ca-independent α-amylase from Bacillus amyloliquefaciens BH1

Strain Bacillus amyloliquefaciens BH1 was evaluated for the generation of α-amylase. Culture conditions and medium components were optimized by a statistical approach for the optimal generation of α-amylase with response surface methodology (RSM) method. The Plackett-Burman (PB) design was executed to select the fermentation variables and Central composite design (CCD) for optimizing significant factors influencing production. The optimum levels for highest generation of α-amylase activity (198.26 ± 3.54 U/mL) were measured. A 1.69-fold improve generation was acquired in comparison with the non-optimized. Partial characterization of the α-amylase indicated optimal pH and temperature at 7.0 and 40 °C, respectively. Crude α-amylase maintained a constant pH range 5.0-8.0 and 30-70 °C. The α-amylase was independent of Ca²⁺, and the activity was inhibited by Fe³⁺, Co²⁺, Cu²⁺, and Hg²⁺. The thermo and pH stability of the α-amylase indicate its extensive application in the food and pharmaceutical industries.

Purification and characterization of exopolysaccharide produced by Weissella cibaria YB-1 from pickle Chinese cabbage

An exopolysaccharide (EPS) was produced by Weissella cibaria YB-1 isolated from pickle Chinese cabbage. The EPS was purified and characterized. The monosaccharide composition of the EPS was glucose, and its molecular mass was 3.89 × 10⁶ Da, as determined by gas chromatography (GC) and high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC). The structural characterization of purified EPS determined by Fourier transform infrared (FT-IR) spectra and nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectra demonstrated that W. cibaria YB-1 synthesized a linear dextran that predominately had α-(1 → 6) glycosidic linkages with only a few α-(1 → 3) (4.3%) linked branches. The water solubility index (WSI), water holding capacity (WHC) and emulsifying activity (EA) of YB-1 dextran were 95.23 ± 4.45, 287.84 ± 16.23 and 84.43 ± 3.65%, respectively. The in-vitro antioxidant activities of the dextran showed good scavenging effects on superoxide anion radical and hydroxyl radical.

Isolation, purification and characterization of exopolysaccharide produced by Leuconostoc pseudomesenteroides YF32 from soybean paste

A water-soluble exopolysaccharide (EPS)-producing strain YF32 was isolated from soybean paste, which was then identified as Leuconostoc pseudomesenteroides. After culturing the strain in Man-Rogosa-Sharpe (MRS) medium containing 5% sucrose at 30°C for 48h, the EPS was purified, and a yield of 12.5g/L was achieved. The weight-average molecular weight (Mw) was 5.54×106Da by high-performance size-exclusion chromatography (HPSEC). The structural characterization of the purified EPS was determined by gas chromatography (GC), Fourier transform infrared (FT-IR), 1H, 13C nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy. The results demonstrated that the exopolysaccharide was glucan with a peak, a linear backbone composed of consecutive α-(1→6)-linked d-glucopyranose units. No branching was observed in the dextran structure. The degradation temperature (Td) of EPS was 307.62°C, which suggested that dextran exhibited high thermal stability. YF32 dextran also showed high water solubility and emulsibility. All results suggested that dextran has the potential to be applied in food fields as a food additive.

Purification, characterization and antioxidant activity of dextran produced by Leuconostoc pseudomesenteroides from homemade wine

An exopolysaccharide (EPS) was produced by Leuconostoc pseudomesenteroides DRP-5 isolated from homemade wine. The EPS was obtained with ethanol extraction, which was further purified by chromatography of Sephadex G-100 to get a purified fraction. The monosaccharide composition of the EPS was glucose, and its molecular weight (Mw) was 6.23 × 10⁶ Da, as determined by gas chromatography (GC) and high-performance size-exclusion chromatography (HPSEC). Fourier transform infrared spectra (FT-IR) and nuclear magnetic resonance spectra (NMR) showed that the EPS was a linear glucan with α-(1→6)-linked glucosidic bonds. The water holding capacity (WHC), water solubility index (WSI) and emulsifying activity (EA) of DRP-5 EPS were 296.76 ± 18.93%, 98.62 ± 3.57% and 87.22 ± 2.18%, respectively. DRP-5 EPS have a higher degradation temperature of 278.36 °C, suggesting high thermal stability of the EPS. Also, DRP-5 EPS was found to have moderate 1,1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) radical, hydroxyl radical, superoxide anion radical, 2,2'-Azinobis-(3-ethylbenzthiazoline-6-sulphonate) (ABTS) radical, Fe²⁺ scavenging activities and reducing power. All these characteristics suggest that DRP-5 EPS might have potential applications in the pharmaceutical, cosmetic and food industries.