Authors
H R Heba, M M Amer, Mahmoud M A Elsayed, Aly E Abo-Amer
Published in
Scientific reports. Volume 16. Issue 1. Jul 30, 2026. Epub Jul 30, 2026.
Abstract
Exopolysaccharide (EPS) production is a common feature of microbial carbohydrate metabolism during fermentation; however, glucan-type EPS produced by Bacillus species in fermented vegetable systems remain insufficiently characterized. This study aimed to isolate an EPS-producing bacterium from naturally fermented cucumber and to perform a preliminary physicochemical and spectroscopic characterization of the produced polymer. An EPS-producing bacterial isolate was recovered and identified as Bacillus tequilensis, a member of the Bacillus subtilis species complex, based on 16 S rRNA gene sequence analysis. The extracellular polysaccharide was partially purified and analyzed using FTIR and ¹H NMR spectroscopy, revealing structural features consistent with a glucan-type EPS. Rheological analysis demonstrated a concentration-dependent increase in viscosity, confirming the macromolecular nature of the polymer in aqueous systems. Sucrose-hydrolyzing activity was detected under optimized conditions, indicating active carbohydrate metabolism associated with EPS production. In vitro cytocompatibility assessment using Vero and WI-38 cell lines showed high cell viability at low to moderate concentrations, with a dose-dependent reduction observed at higher levels. Overall, this study reports the isolation of an EPS-producing Bacillus tequilensis strain from Egyptian fermented cucumber and provides preliminary insights into the properties of its glucan-type exopolysaccharide, highlighting fermented vegetable microbiota as a potential source of functional biopolymers.
PMID:
42533008
Bibliographic data and abstract were imported from PubMed on 31 Jul 2026.
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