Open Access

Bacterial Polysaccharides

Curdlan is a bacterial polysaccharide formed by fermentation of Alcaligenes faecalis and its linear structure (Fig.1) is composed entirely of 1,3-β glucosidic linkages that occur widely in nature. Since it has unique gelling properties in the ability to form either a thermo-reversible or a thermo-irreversible gel1 and shows strongly physiological functions such as anti-tumor and anti-HIV activities, recently, curdlan has attracted much attention, and may become one of the industrially important biopolymers