Biosynthesis of pullulan and its applications in food and pharmaceutical industry

Abstract

Pullulan is a water-soluble polysaccharide produced by yeast-like fungus Aureobasidium pullulans. It is a regularly repeating copolymer with the chemical structure{→6)-α-D-glucopyranosyl-(1 → 4)-α-D-glucopyranosyl-(1 → 4)-α-D-glucopyranosyl-(1→}n and viewed as a succession of α-(1 → 6)-linked (1 → 4)- α-D-triglucosides i.e. maltotriose (G3). Pullulan has a wide range of commercial applications in biomedical and food industries. Because of its strictly linear structure, pullulan is also a very valuable tool in basic research as well as a well-defined model substance. This chapter focuses on the current literature on pullulan mainly its microbial sources, structural geometry, fermentative production, biosynthesis aspects, peculiar characteristics and varied applications.