This study aims at
producing exopolysaccharides (EPS) from a lactic
acid bacterial strain. The soybean whey-isolated Lactobacillus
plantarum W1 (EPS-W1), which belongs to genus Lactobacillus, is identified using the phenylalanyl-tRNA
sequencing method. Of all the examined strains, R-49778 (as numbered
by BCCM/LMG Bacteria Collection, Ghent University, Belgium) showed
the highest capability of producing exopolysaccharides. Structural
characterization revealed a novel exopolysaccharide consisting of
repeating units of →6)-d-Glcp-(1→; →3)-d-Manp-(1→; →3)-d-Glcp-(1→ and
a branch of →6)-d-Manp-(1→; →2)-d-Glcp-(1→. This discovery opens up avenues for the production
of EPS for food industries, functional foods, and biomedical applications.