Molecules (Jun 2022)

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

DOI
https://doi.org/10.3390/molecules27123895
Journal volume & issue
Vol. 27, no. 12
p. 3895

Abstract

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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.

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