Screening Of Diverse Organic Inorganic And Natural Nitrogen Sources For Dextran Production By Weissella Sps Using Plackett-Burman Design

Abstract Exopolysaccharides like dextran produced by different microorganisms have a wide range of applications in the food pharmaceutical and other industries. Dextran and its derivatives like iron dextran clinical dextran food grade dextran are rapidly emerging as new and industrially significant products. Dextran a polymer of glucose is produced using sucrose rich media and also requires efficient nitrogen sources for production. In the present study diverse organic nitrogen sources like yeast extract soya bean meal meat extract beef extract casein hydrolysate bacterial peptone corn steep liquor inorganic nitrogen sources like sodium nitrate sodium nitrite potassium nitrate ammonium chloride ammonium nitrate ammonium sulphate ammonium phosphate and natural nitrogen sources like Bengal gram red gram black gram green gram horse gram soybeans cow pea were screened using statistical design like Plackett-Burman. An eight experimental design of Plackett-Burman was used and seven sources were screened. Broth analysis indicated presence of more fructose and less glucose. Dextran was recovered from broth by alcohol precipitation. The results indicated that there was higher dextran production in organic nitrogen sources like casein hydrolysate natural nitrogen sources like black gram. Though inorganic nitrogen sources did not show good yield but comparatively ammonium sulphate gave a positive response. These studies indicate that organic and natural nitrogen sources can be used for optimization of production media for commercial production of dextran.