Microbial biopolymers from agricultural products: Production and potential

Various approaches are possible when considering the potential for producing microbial polysaccharides (biopolymers). They can be synthesized from pure chemicals at considerable expense, or, they may at least in part be produced from readily available local sources of utilizable fermentable substrates. Alternatively, semi-synthetic media containing both relatively pure chemicals and substrates derived from waste can be used. This is currently common practice. Each approach has both advantages and disadvantages. Of prime importance are the physico-chemical properties and the quality of the products. In an assessment of the possible use of agricultural waste material for extracellular polysaccharide production one has to consider firstly the biopolymers which are currently available and also others which might advantageously be developed in the near future. (C) 1997 Elsevier Science Limited.