A simple and efficient method for the purification of an exopolysaccharide from Klebsiella sp. I-714

An easy separation of bacterial cells from the desired exopolysaccharide with an important reduction in protein content is achieved by adjusting the pH of the culture broth to 4 to 5 before autoclaving. There is a drastic reduction in the apparent viscosity, with formation of a cell aggregate which is easily sedimented. The resulting solution contains all the exopolysaccharide (the free, and the linked one), the amount of protein being reduced by 40%.