TY - JOUR T1 - Sterilization of Exopolysaccharides Produced by Deep-Sea Bacteria: Impact on Their Stability and Degradation A1 - Rederstorff,Emilie A1 - Fatimi,Ahmed A1 - Sinquin,Corinne A1 - Ratiskol,Jacqueline A1 - Merceron,Christophe A1 - Vinatier,Claire A1 - Weiss,Pierre A1 - Colliec-Jouault,Sylvia AD - French Res Inst Exploitat Sea IFREMER, Lab Biotechnol & Marine Mol, F-44311 Nantes 03, France. AD - Univ Nantes, INSERM UMRS 791, Lab Osteoarticular & Dent Tissue Engn, Sch Dent Surg, F-44042 Nantes 1, France. UR - https://archimer.ifremer.fr/doc/00027/13776/ DO - 10.3390/md9020224 KW - marine biotechnology KW - polysaccharides KW - sterilization procedures KW - characterization KW - molecular weight distribution KW - rheology N2 - Polysaccharides are highly heat-sensitive macromolecules, so high temperature treatments are greatly destructive and cause considerable damage, such as a great decrease in both viscosity and molecular weight of the polymer. The technical feasibility of the production of exopolysaccharides by deep-sea bacteria Vibrio diabolicus and Alteromonas infernus was previously demonstrated using a bioproduct manufacturing process. The objective of this study was to determine which sterilization method, other than heat sterilization, was the most appropriate for these marine exopolysaccharides and was in accordance with bioprocess engineering requirements. Chemical sterilization using low-temperature ethylene oxide and a mixture of ionized gases (plasmas) was compared to the sterilization methods using gamma and beta radiations. The changes to both the physical and chemical properties of the sterilized exopolysaccharides were analyzed. The use of ethylene oxide can be recommended for the sterilization of polysaccharides as a weak effect on both rheological and structural properties was observed. This low-temperature gas sterilizing process is very efficient, giving a good Sterility Assurance Level (SAL), and is also well suited to large-scale compound manufacturing in the pharmaceutical industry. Y1 - 2011/02 PB - Mdpi Ag JF - Marine Drugs SN - 1660-3397 VL - 9 IS - 2 SP - 224 EP - 241 ID - 13776 ER -