The Hetero-Polysaccharide from the Extreme Haloarchaeon Haloterrigena turkmenica: Application Properties

Some potential application properties of the exopolysaccharide (EPS) from Haloterrigena turkmenica (Htg. turkmenica) were investigated. The antioxidant power was measured using the ABTS radical cation and the superoxide radical anion. The EPS displayed high scavenging activity, with IC50 of 0.82 and 0.34 mg/mL for the radical cation and the radical anion, respectively. The anti-inflammatory activity was also remarkable. In fact, the biopolymer showed the same BSA denaturation inhibition as ibuprofen, used as positive control (73.29% and 73.19%, respectively). The heavy metal uptake was evaluated towards Pb++, Cd++ and Cu++ ions, and the EPS had a good Pb++ binding capacity reaching 80.36% metal removal at 10 mg/L ion concentration, and adsorption capacity of 123.36 mg/g EPS at 50 mg/L. It was also able to remove methylene blue from an aqueous solution with 50.43% efficiency and 523.33 mg/g EPS adsorption capacity. The overall results demonstrate that the EPS from Htg. turkmenica shows interesting features, remarkable from an application viewpoint in sectors as cosmetic, food, and environment.