Production of exopolysaccharides unattached to the surface of bacterial cells from Sphingomonas bacteria

摘要

A method of producing an exopolysaccharide comprises culturing a Sphingomonas bacteria in a fermentation broth for a time and temperature effective for providing a sphingan exopolysaccharide in a slime for and then recovering the sphingan exopolysaccharide from the fermentation broth. Also described is an exopolysaccharide in a slime form produced by a Sphingomonas bacteria wherein the Sphingomonas bacteria are grown in a submerged, aerated liquid culture and wherein a concentration of dissolved oxygen exceeds 5% of saturation of water after 24 hours of culturing.