Optimization of the production of Exopolysaccharide (EPS) from biofilm-forming bacterial consortium using different parameters

Bacterial cells produce a variety of exopolysaccharide (EPS) throughout their life cycle. EPS plays a crucial role in the formation of biofilms and the control of environmental processes in microbial communities. The bacterial community benefits from biofilms in several ways, including nutrient compartmentation and storage, environmental stress resistance and synergism. The generation of EPS by consortium-associated bacteria, which involves a variety of microorganisms, is versatile and efficient for use in industrial and environmental processes, such as biotechnology and pollution degradation. The qualitative and quantitative chemical characteristics of the consortium's EPS are mostly determined by the type of culture utilized, nutrient type, temperature, and pH. The main goal of the study was to find out how EPS biosynthesis works in a bacterial consortium culture. To achieve maximum EPS regeneration, pH, temperature, carbon, and nitrogen sources were optimized. A consortium of three bacterial strains i.e. Klebsiella pneumonia strain, Pseudomonas aeruginosa strain and Burkholderia cepacian strain that were distinguished by their capacity to produce biofilms were developed as part of the study. The maximum total EPS production was detected after 8 days of incubation at pH 7.5 (15.5 g/L) and a temperature of 35 °C (12.60 g/L). The optimum EPS production was identified as 17.84 g/L and 21.07 g/L when ammonium sulfate and glucose were employed as nitrogen and carbon supplements, respectively. The protein concentration of the EPS was 3067 µg/mL, which was more than the carbohydrate (263.10 µg/mL) and DNA (7.60 µg/mL) content. The total protein/carbohydrate ratio of the EPS detected in the present study was 11.65, which was much higher than in prior investigations. FTIR analysis of EPS confirmed the functional groups of carbohydrates, proteins, lipids and DNA, viz., CO, COOH, NH, OH, CH and OCH3. The study's findings revealed that enhancing the consortium's EPS molecules involves lowering biofilm-related infections and improving the efficacy of antimicrobial treatments in wastewater.