Extracellular polysaccharide production by Rhizobium ciceri from Turkey

Abstract

The ability of the Rhizobium ciceri, to produce extracellular polysaccharides (EPS) was investigated. Tested carbon and nitrogen sources influced EPS synthesis when R. ciceri Rc5 was grown in a chemically defined medium. Mannitol was the most efficient carbon source among the six sources tested (sucrose, glucose, arabinose, fructose, xylose and rhamnose) and sodium nitrate was the most efficient nitrogen source among the two tested (ammonium sulphate and glycine). High amounts of EPS (1182.0 and 1015 mu g ml(-1), respectively) were produced by the Rc5 strain in mannitol and sodium nitrate respectively, which was accompanied by a great increase in the production compared to the control.