Pullulan: Industrially Important Biopolymer- Exopolysaccharide Structure & Industrial Production Pullulan is an industrially important polymer produced from a fungus Aerobasidium pullulans. The industrial process of production(Upstream and Downstream are discussed) and applications are explained in detail.

2. PULLULAN MICROORGANISM
APPLICATIONS
RAW MATERIALS
BIOREACTOR
DESIGN
DOWNSTREAM
PROCESS

3. Solubility &
Impermeable to O2
Exopolysaccharide
Homopolymer
Produced by fungi
in late stationary
phases
Viscous &
extreme stability
over a range of pH
INTRODUCTION

4. STRUCTURE
➢ Repeating Unit = Maltotriose
➢Maltotriose – Glucose linked by
α-1,4 linkage
➢ 0.6 % of maltotetrose
➢ 1.5 x 104 to 1.0 x 107 Da
α-1,4 linkage

5. MICROORGANISMS
Aureobasidium pullulans
Pullularia pullulans
Black yeast

6. FERMENTATION MEDIUM &
PROCESS PARAMETES

7. Carbon source
✓ Saccharify a wide
variety of plantfibres
✓ Acidified sucrose
syrup
✓ 10-15% Optimum
✓ What if its ↓ or ↑ ?
Phosphate content
✓ Optimum- 0.2%
✓ ↑ Phosphate
conc ↓ Mol. Wt.
Nitrogen source
✓ Ammonium salts
✓NH4+ ions playmajor
role
✓Nitrogen limiting
conditions
✓ Regulates α amylase

8. 1
2
3
4
pH
5.5to 7.5
Below 5 suppresses pullulan
production
Temperature
250 to 300C
Oxygen profile
2.0 vvm
Cultivation time
100 hours

9. BIOREACTOR DESIGN
BIOFILM REACTOR
➢ Immobilized on Plastic Composite Support
➢ PCS – Extrusion product of polypropylene,
agricultural mixture and microbial nutrients
➢ Fitted on the shaft
➢Operated in continuous mode

10. RECIPROCATINGPLATE REACTOR
➢Plates aid in better mixing
➢Operated in Batch mode

11. D
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DOWNSTREAM PROCESSING

12. DIETARY
SUBSTITUENT
BINDER
EDIBLE FILMS
GLAZING AGENT
THICKNER
DRUG DELIVERY
MOL WT.
STANDARD
APPLICATIONS