Xanthan gum is a microbial polysaccharide of great commercial interest, especially in the food industry. The aim of this work was the evaluation of xanthan gum production from different whey - based media by a lactose utilizing Xanthomonas campestris C7L isolate. Three whey media formulations were tested: unfiltered whey, filtered whey and hydrolyzed whey. The medium composed of unfiltered whey showed the highest viscosities and xanthan concentrations. A two stage fermentation strategy, combining unfiltered whey (0,35% protein) and filtered whey (0,18% protein), was proposed. The first stage, using unfiltered whey medium, showed a xanthan production of 12g/L and a 45% yield. The second stage, with filtered whey addition, gave final xanthan concentration of 28g/L and a 75% yield. The overall yield was 55% and final broth viscosity reached 18000cP. The polymer produced in this combining system showed typical pseudoplastic and thixotropic behavior. The X. campestris C7L isolate produced high viscosity broths and high quality gums when using whey as substrate and constitutes a promising option for the industrial production of xanthan gum from whey.
xanthan; whey; Xanthomonas campestris
