Purification and characterization of an exopolysaccharide from Leuconostoc lactis L2

An exopolysaccharide (EPS)-producing bacterium was isolated from the homemade fermentation product of hami melon (Cucumis melo var. saccharinus) and identified as Leuconostoc lactis L2 mainly based on 16S rDNA sequence analysis and the API 50 CHL test. The monosaccharide composition of Leu. lactis L2 EPS was determined to be glucose by gas chromatography (GC), and its molecular weight was 3.7 × 10³ kDa by high-performance size exclusion chromatography (HPSEC). The EPS microscopic characteristics were compact, branched and tubular under scanning electron microscopy (SEM). Atomic force microscopy (AFM) showed a smooth and consistent polymeric matrix. The EPS was a linear polymer composed of α-(1 → 6)-linked D-pyranose residues, based on the Fourier transform infrared (FT-IR), ¹H, ¹³C nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) and heteronuclear single quantum coherence (HSQC) spectra. This EPS exhibited a high water solubility index (WSI) and water holding capacity (WHC) (91.90 ± 2.45% and 509.45 ± 28.59%, respectively), as well as good emulsifying properties with many organic solvents. These results collectively suggest the applicable potential of this EPS in the food, feed and pharmaceutical fields.