EXOPOLYSACCHARIDE PRODUCTION BY VOLCANIELLA EURIHALINA

The application of microbial extracellular polymers began in the 1960s , and since then there has been a remarkable increase in their commerc ial use. They are used in the food, textile, pharmaceutical, agricultu ral, paint and petroleum industries. Volcaniella eurihalina, a moderat ely halophilic eubacterium, produces an extracellular polysaccharide w hose physical and chemical properties could be of interest for various industrial applications. The aim of this investigation is to analyze the different environmental parameters which influence the production of polysaccharide, and to study its chemical composition and the theol ogical properties of its solutions.