241-246Nostoc
calcicola produced profuse amount of
polysaccharidic exopolymer under P limited conditions. The exopolymer showed a
truly pseudoplastic, non-Newtonian, time independent behaviour with good
recovery after shear. It was composed of D-ribose, D-arabinose, L-rhamnose,
L-fucose, D-xylose, D-mannose, D-glucose, D-galactose and 3-methyl-D-arabinose.
IR spectra showed bands at ~1250 and 820 cm-1, characteristic of
sulphate residue. The exopolymer showed good emulsifying and antimicrobial
activity. It absorbed 282 g H2O.g-1 exopolymer. The
possible applications of the exopolymer in pharmaceutical, food and oil recovery
industry have been discussed