Exopolysaccharides Produced by Lactic Acid Bacteria and Their Role in the Food Industry

Bacteria can produce a wide range of biopolymers (mainly polyesters, polyamides, inorganic polyanhydrides, and polysaccharides), with significant and heterogeneous physiological functions in prokaryotes (Rehm, 2010). Several of these compounds find application in the industrial and medical field, often offering—because of their biocompatibility and biodegradability—sustainable solutions from the economic, environmental, and social point of view (Rehm, 2010; Ates, 2015).