DESCRIPTION

Curdlan occurs as a white to nearly white powder. It is a high-molecular-weight polymer of glucose (β-1,3-glucan) produced by pure-culture fermentation of a carbohydrate by a nonpathogenic and nontoxigenic strain of Agrobacterium biobar 1 (formerly Alcaligenes faecalis var. myxogenes) or Agrobacterium radiobacter. Curdlan consists of β-(1,3)-linked glucose residues and has the unusual property of forming an elastic gel when its aqueous suspension is heated to a temperature above 54°. It is insoluble in water, but is soluble in alkaline solutions.