Screening for gum-producing Lactic acid bacteria in Oil palm () and raphia palm ( sap from South-West Nigeria.

Lactic acid bacteria have wide applications in food processing. Lactic acid bacteria produced exopolysaccharides (EPS) which could be used as possible replacer for commercial stabilizer and thickeners produced by nonfood grade bacteria. Seventy-two samples of Oil and Raphia palm sap were collected in eighteen locations across South-Western Nigeria and screened for exopolysaccharide production in 6% sucrose agar using streaked plate method.