Microbial pullulan for food,biomedicine,cosmetic,and water treatment:a review

摘要

Most fossil fuel-derived polymers used for food packaging are non-biodegradable and induce pollution by microplastic,calling for safer material.Here we review microbial production and applications of pullulan,a unique biopolymer produced by fermentation of agro-residues,using a strain named Aureobasidium pullulan.Chemically modified pullulan is widely used in food,pharmaceuticals,biomedical,and cosmetics.Compared to conventional polymers,pullulan increases the tensile strength 6-37-folds and increases the bioadhesion time 72-120-folds.Pullulan has been recently produced from agro-based waste with yields as high as 58-69 g/L.