• KSBB Journal
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• v.7 no.3
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• pp.166-171
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• 1992

Zoogloea ramigera 115 was cultured for biopolymer production and its bioflocculant usages. Cultural conditions of the organism were examined with regard to high production of the microbial polysaccharide. The most suitable medium was found to contain glucose as a carbon source, $NaNO_3$ as a nitrogen source, and yeast extract as an organic nutrient. The initial pH of 6.0 proved to optimal. The biopolymer was extracted effectively using ultrasonication and high speed centrifugation, followed by propanol addition. Jar test results indicate that the polysaccharide produced by the organism is an effective flocculant.

• Journal of Life Science
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• v.29 no.3
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• pp.362-368
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• 2019

For the practical application and development of biopolymer flocculant Biopol32 produced by Pseudomonas sp. GP32, its flocculation effect on wastewater from food processing, slaughter houses, and the dyeing industry was investigated. In the food processing wastewater, Biopol32 led to a chemical oxygen demand (COD) reduction rate of 70% and a suspended solid (SS) removal rate of 49% at pH 6.0. In the slaughter house wastewater at pH 4.0, a COD reduction rate of 61% and SS removal rate of 91% were observed, and in the dyeing wastewater, the rates were 72% and 92%, respectively, at pH 5.0. The size of floc formed during the flocculation process was 10 mm at a final concentration of 20 ppm, and the dehydration efficiency was 62%. In both the bioflocculant Biopol32 group and a PAA synthetic flocculant group, optimal flocculant concentration that yielded the best overall dehydration efficiency was 20 ppm, and, at this concentration, the shortest filtration time to reach the natural critical moisture content of 78.1% was attained.

• Microbiology and Biotechnology Letters
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• v.23 no.6
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• pp.770-776
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• 1995

For the purpose of development of non-toxic and biodegradable flocculant, chitosan complex was isolated from Ganoderma lucidum wastes. The isolated complex was identified as the expected chitosan-glucan complex by IR specta. The complex was extracted by treatment of 50% NaOH solution at 120$\circ$C for 5 hrs, namely optimal condition and solubilized with 2% acetic acid for fur-ther use as flocculant. Preliminary experiments showed that the solubilized complex had higher flocculation activity of 1.3 fold than commercial chitosan at 400 mg/l concentration in soybean curd wastewater. Also the solubilized complex removed 83% of MLSS and 60% of COD in the soybean curd wastewater treated by photosynthetic bacteria, 50% of turbidity and 21% of MLSS in sugar industry wastewater, and 90% of turbidity and 89% of MLSS in alcohol fermentation wastewater. Bacterial cell flocculation activities of the solubilized chitosan-glucan complex were 89% in Bacillus subtilis broth, 81% in Streptococcus lactis broth, and more than 90% in Escherichia coli broth after standing for 2 days. The results reveal that chitosan-glucan complex from Ganoderma lucidum wastes can substitute for commercial chitosan as non-toxic and biodegradable flocculant.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.15 no.3
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• pp.626-632
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• 2005

A new bacterium BL-2 excreting a novel cationic polyglucosamine biopolymer was isolated from the spoiled leaves of Chinese cabbage and identified as Enterobacter sp. BL-2. The isolated Enterobacter sp. BL-2 was cultivated in pH-stat fed-batch culture using acetic acid as the feeding stock at pH 8.0, resulting in 17.11 g/l of cells and 1.53 g/l of an extracellular biopolymer after 72 h. The excreted biopolymer was purified by a three-step procedure, involving ethanol precipitation and deproteinizations, to a nearly homogeneous state, and its molecular weight was found to be 106 kDa. It was composed of glucosamine, rhamnose, and galactose at a molar ratio of 86.4:1.6:1.0, respectively, indicating a rarely found novel high-glucosamine-containing biopolymer. The FT-IR and $^{13}C-NMR$ spectra of the novel cationic polyglucosamine biopolymer PGB-l revealed a close identity with chitosan from crab shell. It can effectively flocculate various suspended solids, including kaolin clay, $Ca(OH)_2,\;Al_{2}O_3$, active carbon, microbial cells, and acidic dyes.

• KSBB Journal
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• v.11 no.4
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• pp.470-475
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• 1996

A white rot fungus as a microbial source producing bioflocculant was isolated from rotted leaves and identified as Pestalotiopsis sp. M01. The flocculating activity and productivity of Pestan produced by Pestalotiopsis sp. KCTC 8637P was determined by using Czapek-Dox medium as the inorganic salt source. The flocculating activity was highest at 3% sucrose and 0.3% $KN0_3$, pH 7, and $25^{\circ}C$, respectively. Whilst, the strain growth was highest at 3% sucrose, 0.3% TEX><$KN0_3$, pH 5, and $25^{\circ}C$, respectively.

• Membrane and Water Treatment
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• v.9 no.3
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• pp.147-153
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• 2018

This study investigates the role of microbial extracellular polymeric substances (EPSs) as bioflocculants to harvest microalgae (water-microalgae separation). The EPS extracted from waste activated sludge (WAS) by heat extraction were fractionated into soluble EPS (S-EPS), loosely-bound EPS (LB-EPS) and tightly-bound EPS (TB-EPS) forms. All the EPSs facilitated the flocculation of microalgal cells from stable growth medium. Of those EPSs, the TB-EPS showed the highest flocculating activity (FA) resulting in the substantial decrease in the amount of EPS added in terms of total organic carbon (TOC) during flocculation. The FA of microalgae was improved with the increase in TB-EPS dose, however, excessive dose of TB-EPS adversely affected it due to destabilization. Both LB- and TB-EPS could be utilized for flocculating microalgae as a sustainable option to the existing chemical-based flocculants. In addition to the conventional assessments, the effectiveness of the two bioflocculants for floc forming was also confirmed using a novel assessment of lens-free shadow imaging technique (LSIT), which was firstly applied for the rapid and quantitative assessment of microalgal flocculation.

• Microbiology and Biotechnology Letters
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• v.20 no.2
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• pp.196-202
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• 1992

Zoogloea ramigera 115 was selected for the production of viscous microbial polysaccharide for bioflocculants usage. Batch, fed-batch, and continuous culture processes were examined with regard to the high biopolymer production. Several carbon sources were tested, including glucose, lactose, molasses, and cheese whey. The C/N ratio of 90 was most effective for biopolymer production from glucose, while the C/N ratios of 30 for lactose and 60 for both molasses and cheese whey substrate gave a maximum production. Fed batch culture proved more effective to increase final biopolymer concentration than batch culture. Continuous fermentation with two stages modifying C/N ratio increased the productivity. The production rates were a maximum at dilution rate of 0.048 $hr^{-1}$ for molasses and at 0.096 $hr^{-1}$for cheese whey.

• Applied Chemistry for Engineering
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• v.34 no.6
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• pp.626-632
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• 2023

Acemannan, a highly acetylated glucomannan, was extracted from fresh Aloe vera leaves by ethanol fractionation, resulting in a concentration increase of more than threefold. The presence of acemannan was confirmed using FTIR and ¹H NMR analysis, revealing an average molecular weight of 780 kDa. The flocculating activity of the fractionated aloe gel polysaccharide was assessed through settling tests in a 1% (w/v) bentonite suspension. The results demonstrated that the aloe polysaccharide exhibited remarkable stability within a temperature range of 20~70 ℃. The maximal flocculation rate at different pH levels ranged from 93% to 97%, with an optimal dose for maximum flocculation rate between 0.25 mg/mL. Notably, the minimum dose required for flocculation was achieved at a pH of 3, attributed to the compression of electrostatic repulsion on the surface of bentonite particles. However, the flocs obtained under acidic conditions were less dense and compact, exhibiting lower sedimentation velocity compared to those formed under neutral and alkaline pH conditions. Additionally, the addition of salt showed a slight synergistic effect on flocculation, significantly enhancing the sedimentation velocity. This investigation highlights the potential of Aloe vera polysaccharide as a natural and edible flocculant, offering promising applications in various industries.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.8 no.4
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• pp.341-346
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• 1998

Optimization for the production of Pest an was followed by the Plackett-Burman Design, using modified Czapek-dox medium as the starting point. At the flask level, $K_2HPO_4$, $MgSO_4{\cdot}7H_2O$, and aeration variables positively affected the Pestan production, DCW (dry cell weight), apparent viscosity, and flocculating activity response. KCI and $FeSO_4{\cdot}7H_2O$ negatively affected the Pestan production, DCW, apparent viscosity, and flocculating activity response. Aeration variable was shown to have a positive effect on only the flocculating activity response among Pestan production, DCW, and apparent viscosity responses. In comparison of the positive and negative variables media conditions, Pestan production and flocculating activity differed by about 9 and 125 times, respectively. In particular, at the jar fermentor level, the aeration variable was the most important factor of the all responses (pestan production, DCW, apparent viscosity, flocculating activity, and anionic charge density). The flocculating activity and apparent viscosity of Pestan were closely related to the molecular chain length and charge density.