Cyanoflan: A cyanobacterial sulfated carbohydrate polymer with emulsifying properties. (1st February 2020) - Mota, Rita
Graphical abstract: Highlights: Cyanoflan a sulfated carbohydrate polymer from a marine cyanobacterium Cyanothece sp. Cyanoflan has a complex chemical structure with a high number of branching. Cyanoflan has high intrinsic viscosity and emulsifying activity in aqueous solutions. Cyanoflan is a promising emulsifying/thickening agent for industrial applications. Abstract: The extracellular polysaccharides produced by cyanobacteria have distinctive characteristics that make them promising for applications ranging from bioremediation to biomedicine. In this study, a sulfated polysaccharide produced by a marine cyanobacterial strain and named cyanoflan was characterized in terms of morphology, chemical composition, and rheological and emulsifying properties. Cyanoflan has a 71 % carbohydrate content, with 11 % of sulfated residues, while the protein account for 4 % of dry weight. The glycosidic-substitution analysis revealed a highly branched complex chemical structure with a large number of sugar residues. The cyanoflan high molecular mass fractions (above 1 MDa) and entangled structure is consistent with its high apparent viscosity in aqueous solutions and high emulsifying activity. It showed to be a typical non-Newtonian fluid with pseudoplastic behavior. Altogether, these results confirm that cyanoflan is a versatile carbohydrate polymer that can be used in different biotechnological applications, such as emulsifying/thickening agent in food or cosmetic industries.