Process for production of exopolysaccharides

Abstract

The invention concerns a method for producing exopolysaccharides by fermenting micro-organisms characterised in that it consists in carrying out the fermentation in a nutrient medium comprising at least a source of carbon available to the micro-organisms and at least a source of nitrogen, said source being derived from a fraction of carob seed.

1 - 16 . (canceled)  
     
     
         17 . A process for producing exopolysaccharides comprising a fermentation of microorganisms step, wherein the fermentation is carried out in a nutrient medium containing at least one carbon source assimilable by the microorganisms and at least one organic nitrogen source deriving from a carob bean.  
     
     
         18 . The process according to  claim 17 , wherein the protein has a high content of arginine, of glutamine or glutamic acid, and of lysine.  
     
     
         19 . The process according to  claim 17 , wherein the fraction of the carob bean has a content of lipids of at least 4% by weight with respect to the dry matter.  
     
     
         20 . The process according to  claim 19 , wherein the content of lipids is of between 7 and 15%.  
     
     
         21 . The process according to  claim 17 , wherein the fraction is a germ of the carob bean.  
     
     
         22 . The process according to  claim 17 , wherein the carob bean fraction is in the form of a flour.  
     
     
         23 . The process according to  claim 22 , wherein the flour has a granulometry of between 10 and 150 microns.  
     
     
         24 . The process according to  claim 17 , wherein the nutrient medium further contains at least one inorganic nitrogen source.  
     
     
         25 . The process according to  claim 24 , wherein the inorganic nitrogen source is an ammonium or sodium nitrate, an ammonium phosphate or sulfate, a magnesium sulfate, a potassium or sodium sulfate, or a mixture thereof.  
     
     
         26 . The process of  claim 17 , wherein the organic and optionally inorganic nitrogen source in the fermentation medium is in a concentration of between 1 and 80 g/l.  
     
     
         27 . The process according to  claim 26 , wherein the concentration of organic and optionally inorganic nitrogen source is of between 5 and 30 g/l.  
     
     
         28 . The process according to  claim 17 , wherein the assimilable carbon source is a glucose or a sucrose.  
     
     
         29 . The process according to  claim 17 , wherein the assimilable carbon source is a concentration of between 1 and 100 g/l.  
     
     
         30 . The process according to  claim 29 , wherein the concentration of assimilable carbon source is of between 15 and 80 g/.  
     
     
         31 . The process according to  claim 17 , wherein the fermentation of the microorganisms is carried out without an enzyme.  
     
     
         32 . The process according to  claim 17 , wherein fermentation is carried out a temperature of between 15 and 100° C.  
     
     
         33 . The process according to  claim 32 , wherein the temperature is of between 25 and 35° C.  
     
     
         34 . The process according to  claim 17 , wherein the microorganism is selected from the group consisting of bacterias of the genus  Xanthomonas , bacterias of the genus  Alcaligenes , bacterias of the genus  Agrobacterium , bacterias of the genus  Arthrobacter , bacterias of the genus  Azotobacter , bacterias of the genus  Pseudomonas , bacterias of the genus  Corynebacterium , bacterias of fungi of the genus  Sclerotium , bacterias of the genus  Aspergillus , and yeasts of the genus  Hansenula.