ABSTRACT

Exopolysaccharides are biological polymers that are different from other commercially available biological polymers in terms of quality, manufacture, and environmental sustainability. Chemically, these polymeric molecules are synthesized under supercritical conditions, thus, in order to cope these harsh environmental conditions, the recent research has focused on the extraction/production of polymers from biological entities. Biologically, these polymers are generally produced by majority of bacteria, cyanobacteria plants, and algae. Bacteria produces EPS to resist under harsh environmental conditions as these are the major component of bacterial biofilms. Besides providing support for bacterial survival, these polymers also became the molecule of choice due to their unique characteristics and multiple applications. EPS from microbial sources plays a significant role in defense mechanism, attachment to the surface and environmental stress tolerance. These molecules also acts as food stabilizers, emulsifiers, enhances the texture, flavor, organoleptic properties, and viscosity of food products. EPS are the major component of prebiotics and widely used as functional food that having numerous health benefits. Thus, this chapter is a brief discussion on the biosynthetic pathways, sources, and advances in production and extraction of EPS. Further, different methods of extraction as well as fermentation for maximum yields of EPS has also been discussed.