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Abstract
<p class="first" id="d219817e85">Several scientific evidences have revealed probiotics
implications on human health.
A wide range of lactic acid bacteria (LAB) have been extensively studied for their
ability to produce extracellular polysaccharides (EPSs), which are repeating units
of mono/oligosaccharides with various chemical compositions and properties. Despite
the conventional belief regarding probiotics that states bacteria must be alive to
exert their beneficial effects, mounting evidence opened up new perspectives on health-promoting
effects of bacterial-derived molecules/metabolites. Employing EPSs seems safer alternative
in complicated disorders like cancer and immune related diseases. EPSs have potential
applications in textiles, cosmetology, wastewater treatment, food, and pharmaceutical
industries, but little is known about their function therefore the present review
aims to discuss the health-promoting properties of EPSs produced by LAB. Antioxidant,
antiviral, antitumor and immunomodulating activity, with focus on the mechanisms involved,
are discussed in the study. Ever-growing number of researches indicate that EPSs beneficiary
effects have a promising future ahead.
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