Exopolysaccharide-protein complex, a method of preparing said complex and uses thereof

Abstract

The present invention relates to an exopolysaccharide-protein complex obtained from a bacterium comprising: (i) a crude exopolysaccharide, and (ii) exopolysaccharide-associated proteins which are derived from outer membrane vesicles and have a molecular weight between 30 and 250 kDa. The present invention further relates to a method for preparing said exopolysaccharide-protein complex and uses thereof.

1 - 15 . (canceled) 
     
     
         16 . A cosmetic composition comprising an exopolysaccharide-protein complex obtained from a bacterium of the genus  Halomonas  comprising:
 (i) a crude exopolysaccharide, and   (ii) exopolysaccharide-associated proteins which are derived from outer membrane vesicles and have a molecular weight between 30 and 250 kDa, wherein the exopolysaccharide-associated proteins include two bands of molecular weight corresponding to a band between 30 kDa and 40 kDa and a band between 51 kDa and 60 kDa as obtained by SDS-PAGE,   wherein the exopolysaccharide-protein complex has a concentration in the composition of 0.01 mg/ml to 1.0 mg/ml.   
     
     
         17 . The cosmetic composition according to  claim 16 , wherein the crude exopolysaccharide is an heteropolymer comprising glucose, galactose, uronic acid units and other sugar units selected from rhamnose, glucosamine and a mixture of rhamnose and glucosamine. 
     
     
         18 . The cosmetic composition according to  claim 17 , wherein the crude exopolysaccharide comprises: 30 to 60 wt % glucose, 30 to 50 wt % galactose, 5 to 10 wt % uronic acids and 1 to 10% of other sugar units, providing that the sum of the components in the crude exopolysaccharide is 100 wt %. 
     
     
         19 . The cosmetic composition according to  claim 16 , wherein the crude exopolysaccharide further comprises sulfate at a concentration from 2 to 10 wt %. 
     
     
         20 . The cosmetic composition according to  claim 16 , further comprising a biological response modifier selected from the group consisting of lymphokine, interleukin, growth factor and NFkB factor. 
     
     
         21 . The cosmetic composition according to  claim 16  which is a pharmaceutical, nutraceutical or cosmeceutical composition.