Commercial Fungal Exopolysaccharides: Botryosphaeran, Pullulan, and Scleroglucan

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Interest in polymer production by microorganisms has significantly increased due to its widespread use in various sectors. There are three major classes of microbial polysaccharides, namely extracellular, intracellular and structural. Of these, exopolysaccharides are preferred because of their easy isolation and purification and also because of their high yielding potential in a short time period. Exopolysaccharide production is reported in a considerable number of fungi, including higher basidiomycetes, lower filamentous fungi, and yeasts from different ecological niches. Among these, the exopolysaccharides, botryosphaeran, pullulan, and scleroglucan, produced by Aureobasidium pullulans, Botryosphaeria, and Sclerotium, respectively, have been commercially produced and are well known for their applications in diverse fields. Exopolysaccharide production in fungi mainly depends on the fungal strain used, the physical conditions used for fermentation, and the medium components used for the production. Fungal exopolysaccharides are significant primarily because of their properties such as pseudoplasticity, resistance to salt and thermal degradation, high viscosity even at diluted concentrations, and high-temperature tolerance. Fungal polysaccharides have been extensively exploited in various sectors such as petroleum, bioremediation, food, biomedical, cosmetic, textile, and pharmaceutical.