Biopolymer from Water Kefir as a Potential Clean-Label Ingredient for Health Applications: Evaluation of New Properties
Monalisa de Alencar Lucena,
Igor Frederico da Silveira Ramos,
Maurycyo Silva Geronço,
Ricardo de Araújo,
Francisco Lopes da Silva Filho,
Luís Manuel Lopes Rodrigues da Silva,
Rayran Walter Ramos de Sousa,
Paulo Michel Pinheiro Ferreira,
Josy Anteveli Osajima,
Edson Cavalcanti Silva-Filho,
Márcia dos Santos Rizzo,
Alessandra Braga Ribeiro,
Marcilia Pinheiro da Costa
Affiliations
Monalisa de Alencar Lucena
Materials Science and Engineering Graduate Program, Federal University of Piauí, Teresina 64049-550, PI, Brazil
Igor Frederico da Silveira Ramos
Materials Science and Engineering Graduate Program, Federal University of Piauí, Teresina 64049-550, PI, Brazil
Maurycyo Silva Geronço
Materials Science and Engineering Graduate Program, Federal University of Piauí, Teresina 64049-550, PI, Brazil
Ricardo de Araújo
Materials Science and Engineering Graduate Program, Federal University of Piauí, Teresina 64049-550, PI, Brazil
Francisco Lopes da Silva Filho
College of Pharmacy, Federal University of Piauí, Teresina 64049-550, PI, Brazil
Luís Manuel Lopes Rodrigues da Silva
CPIRN-UDI/IPG—Centro de Potencial e Inovação em Recursos Naturais, Unidade de Investigação para o Desenvolvimento do Interior do Instituto Politécnico da Guarda, 6300-559 Guarda, Portugal
Rayran Walter Ramos de Sousa
Laboratory of Experimental Cancerology (LabCancer), Department of Biophysics and Physiology, Federal University of Piauí, Teresina 64049-550, PI, Brazil
Paulo Michel Pinheiro Ferreira
Laboratory of Experimental Cancerology (LabCancer), Department of Biophysics and Physiology, Federal University of Piauí, Teresina 64049-550, PI, Brazil
Josy Anteveli Osajima
Materials Science and Engineering Graduate Program, Federal University of Piauí, Teresina 64049-550, PI, Brazil
Edson Cavalcanti Silva-Filho
Materials Science and Engineering Graduate Program, Federal University of Piauí, Teresina 64049-550, PI, Brazil
Márcia dos Santos Rizzo
Pharmaceutical Sciences Graduate Program, Federal University of Piauí, Teresina 64049-550, PI, Brazil
Alessandra Braga Ribeiro
CBQF—Centro de Biotecnologia e Química Fina—Laboratório Associado, Escola Superior de Biotecnologia, Universidade Católica Portuguesa, Rua Diogo Botelho 1327, 4169-005 Porto, Portugal
Marcilia Pinheiro da Costa
Materials Science and Engineering Graduate Program, Federal University of Piauí, Teresina 64049-550, PI, Brazil
The present work aimed to characterize the exopolysaccharide obtained from water kefir grains (EPSwk), a symbiotic association of probiotic microorganisms. New findings of the technological, mechanical, and biological properties of the sample were studied. The EPSwk polymer presented an Mw of 6.35 × 105 Da. The biopolymer also showed microcrystalline structure and characteristic thermal stability with maximum thermal degradation at 250 °C. The analysis of the monosaccharides of the EPSwk by gas chromatography demonstrated that the material is composed of glucose units (98 mol%). Additionally, EPSwk exhibited excellent emulsifying properties, film-forming ability, a low photodegradation rate (3.8%), and good mucoadhesive properties (adhesion Fmax of 1.065 N). EPSwk presented cytocompatibility and antibacterial activity against Escherichia coli and Staphylococcus aureus. The results of this study expand the potential application of the exopolysaccharide from water kefir as a potential clean-label raw material for pharmaceutical, biomedical, and cosmetic applications.
