A cellulosic exopolysaccharide produced from sugarcane molasses by a Zoogloea sp.

An extracellular polysaccharide producing bacterium Zoogloea sp. was isolat ed from an agro-industrial environment in the north-eastern region of Brazi l. The extracellular polysaccharide produced from sugarcane molasses was hy drolysed with trifluoroacetic acid (mild and strong conditions) giving 88% of soluble material. The main monosaccharides present in the soluble fracti on were glucose (87.6%), xylose (8.6%), mannose (0.8%), ribose (1.7%), gala ctose (0.1%), arabinose (0.4%) and glucuronic acid (0.8%). Methylation anal ysis of the polysaccharide showed mainly 2,3,6-tri-O-methylhexitol (74.7%) and 2,3,-di-O-methylhexitol (17.7%). Enzyme hydrolysis of the polysaccharid e with a cellulase confirmed the presence of (1 --> 4)-beta-D-glucopyranosy l residues. (C) 2000 Elsevier Science Ltd. ALI rights reserved.