Novel applications of -PL have been developed due to its properties
such as water solubility, nontoxicity, biodegradability, and
broad-spectrumantibacterial activities.It alsohas greatpotentialto
be an efficient and environmentally friendly bioremediator, which
will hopefully be realized in the near future. Extensive research has
been conducted, and many reports are available that clearly indicate
that -PL is a very valuable homo-biopolymer with various
applications in the food industry, medicine, agriculture, electronics,
and bioremediation. In spite of all these potential applications,
extensive research, and large-scale commercial production are not
atthe requiredlevel. Studies ofthemolecularmechanismof biosynthesis
and metabolic engineering of its regulatory pathways are
required so that genetically and metabolically modified -PL producers
can be developed, and its production can be enhanced. It is
safe for human ingestion and may be used more in food preservation.
The present production system for -PL should be optimized,
and new production processes should be designed for its plentiful
supply so that its application can be maximized in the future. The
currentinformation aboutthe known sources of -PL and increased
availability of -PL would broaden the scope of its application in the
future.
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