Biocompatible nanofiber from exopolysaccharide produced by moderately halophilic Paenibacillus alvei

Exopolysaccharides (EPSs) are polysaccharides produced by microbes in the form of slime or as a capsular material. Their chemical composition and structure lend themselves to fine-tuned properties and the possibility of metabolic engineering and applications in various industries. Among the archaebacteria, halophiles are a group of bacteria that are well known to produce EPS for forming biofilm so that they can withstand adverse conditions like salinity and osmotic pressure. In this work, seven bacterial strains were isolated from the Ennore Salt pan, and the highest EPS-producing strain SSVRVG7 ( Paenibacillus alvei) identified by 16s rRNA sequencing showed highest antibacterial activity. The physicochemical parameters that have an effect on EPS production for the isolate SSVRVG7—carbon source (fructose), cheaper carbon source (glucose), nitrogen source (peptone), NaCl concentration (15%), and pH (8)—were optimized to enhance the EPS production and the EPS produced was characterized using ultra violet-visible spectroscopy, Fourier transfer infrared spectroscopy, thin layer chromatography, scanning electron microscopy (SEM), and proton nuclear magnetic resonance. The antibacterial activity of the strain showed the highest activity against S. faecalis . The characterized EPS was then applied for nanofiber synthesis by electrospinning at different polymer concentrations. The produced electrospun fibers were characterized morphologically by SEM.