Characterization of extracellular polymeric substance producing isolates from wastewaters and their antibacterial prospective

ABSTRACT

Bacteria have the ability of biofilm formation, in which the cells attach to each other within a self-producedmatrix of extracellular polymeric substance (EPS). The aim of the present research work was to isolateEPS-producing bacteria from wastewater. Total 21 bacterial isolates were screened for EPS production basedon mucoid and slimy colonies. Out of 21 isolates, nine efficient isolates were selected for the production ofEPS. These efficient bacterial strains were also checked for their antimicrobial potential against Salmonellasp., Escherichia coli, and Klebsiella sp. The isolates ASA3, H2E7, H2F8, and ASB4 inhibited the growth ofSalmonella sp., E. coli, and Klebsiella sp, while isolate ASB5, H2C6, and H2E9 only showed inhibitory effectsagainst Salmonella sp. The maximum concentration of EPS (i.e., 17.2 g/l) was produced by strain ASB4 within3 days of incubation.