An acidic exopolysaccharide α-D-galacturono-β-D-glucan produced by the cyanobacterium Scytonema sp.

Some cyanobacteria produce a wide range of secondary metabolites, some of which are of industrial interest. Exopolysaccharides, particularly interesting among them, represent relatively complex primary structures with interesting bioactivity, biodegradability and specific applications. Cultivation of the freshwater cyanobacterium Scytonema sp. provided a proteoglycan-type exopolysaccharide with a relatively low yield and a wide spectrum of molecular weights (Mw) ranging from 2.2 to 1313 × 103 g/mol. Chemical analyses detected the presence of carbohydrates (46 wt%), proteins (10 wt%) and uronic acids (8 wt%). Monosaccharide analysis revealed up to seven neutral sugars with a dominance of glucose (23.6 wt%), galactose (7.4 wt%) and fucose (5.0 wt%) residues, while the others had a much lower content (0.9–3.4 wt%). The presence of galacturonic acid (8.0 wt%) indicated the appearance of ionic type of exopolysaccharide. A preliminary structural study indicated that the α-D-galacturono-β-D-glucan forms a dominant part of Scytonema sp. exopolymer. Its backbone is composed of two 1,6-linked and one 1,2-linked β-D-Glcp residues, which is branched at O6 by side chains composed of α-D-GalAp(1 → 2)-β-D-Glcp(1→ dimer or monomeric β-D-Glcp(1→ residue.