Structural features and hypoglycaemic activity of an exopolysaccharide produced by Sorangium cellulosum

To investigate the structural features and hypoglycaemic activity of an exopolysaccharide (EPS) produced by Sorangium cellulosum NUST06.

The chemical structure of the EPS from S. cellulosum NUST06 was determined by gas-liquid chromatography, gas chromatography (GC), GC-mass spectrometry and nuclear magnetic resonance. The EPS was composed of a beta-D-(1-->4)-glucose backbone with alpha-D-(1-->6)-mannose side chains. The molecular weight of the EPS was approx. 2x10(5) Da. Healthy and alloxan-induced diabetic mice were used in the study. Blood glucose levels of the experimental animals during the trial period were analysed by a glucose test kit based on the glucose oxidase method. When 100 and 200 mg kg(-1) day(-1) of purified EPS was orally administered for 7 days, the serum glucose in alloxan-induced diabetic mice was reduced by 35.9 and 41.4% (P<0.01), and the serum glucose in healthy mice was reduced by 27.3 and 30.1% (P<0.05), respectively.

The EPS produced by S. cellulosum NUST06 decreased blood glucose levels distinctly in both healthy and alloxan-induced diabetic mice.

To elucidated the chemical structure of the EPS from S. cellulosum NUST06 and exploited the anti-diabetic potential of the EPS.