ABSTRACT
Exopolysaccharides are microbial metabolites produced during the late exponential/stationary phase in response to internal or external stress conditions or special purposes like adhesion, and biofilm formation, etc. The molecules tend to protect the host cells from environmental stress like desiccation, heavy metals, and chemical poisoning. Besides regular function, these molecules also have antimicrobial, antiviral, antitumor activities, and have applications in food, cosmetics and bioremediation. These are highly biocompatible molecules but have some poor structural and functional characteristics like mechanical strength, thermal stability, ionic strength, electric conductivity, and water solubility. The problem can be overcome by making composites of EPS with synthetic polymers like polypyrrole, poly ethylene glycol, poly acryl amide, and natural EPS and non-EPS molecules like chitosan, lignin, proteins, enzymes, etc. Recent researches have shown the potential of EPS composites and blends in different fields especially healthcare and tissue engineering. This chapter will elucidate the EPS blends with different organic materials and their possible applications in the area of food, and the environment.
