2. Polysaccharides from marine bacteria and their bioactive derivatives

2.1 Description of the different bacterial polysaccharides

The production of polysaccharides by bacteria enables the biotechnological development of new molecules for biomedical applications. Indeed, many Gram + and Gram – microorganisms synthesize polysaccharides of very varied composition and structure, generally of high molar mass. Bacterial polysaccharides are secreted either as a capsule attached to the cell, or as a more or less viscous gangue in solution. In the latter case, exopolysaccharides (EPS) are easily recovered. The EPS released into the environment may have been freshly synthesized by the bacteria, or may have been lost during the aging process. Various protective roles are attributed to these polysaccharides:

• providing...