Abstract

A Note on the Impact of Stabilization and Degradation of Deep-Sea Bacteria

Author(s): Sylvia Colliec Jouault

Polysaccharides are highly heat-sensitive macromolecules, so high temperature treatments are greatly destructive and cause considerable damage, such as a great decrease in both viscosity and molecular weight of the polymer. The technical feasibility of the production
of exo polysaccharides by deep-sea bacteria Vibrio diabolicus and Alteromonas infernus was previously demonstrated using a bioproduct manufacturing process. The objective of this study was to determine which sterilization method, other than heat sterilization, was
the most appropriate for these marine exo polysaccharides and was in accordance with bioprocess engineering requirements.The changes to both the physical and chemical properties of the sterilized exopolysaccharides were analysed. The use of ethylene oxide
can be recommended for the sterilization of polysaccharides as a weak effect on both rheological and structural properties was observed. This low-temperature gas sterilizing process is very efficient, giving a good Sterility Assurance Level (SAL), and is also well
suited to large-scale compound manufacturing in the pharmaceutical industry.