Uses of Xanthan Gum

Due to its unique properties, xanthan gum is widely used in more than a dozen fields such as food, petroleum, medicine, and daily chemical industry. Its high degree of commercialization and wide application range make any other microbial polysaccharide Are out of reach.

1. Food: Xanthan gum is added to many foods as a stabilizer, emulsifier, suspending agent, thickener and processing aid. Xanthan gum can control the rheology, structure, flavor and appearance of products, and its pseudoplasticity can ensure good taste, so it is widely used in salad dressings, bread, dairy products, frozen food, beverages, condiments, brewing, In candies, pastries, soups and canned foods. In recent years, people in more developed countries often worry that the calorific value in food will be too high and make themselves fat. Xanthan gum dispels this concern because it cannot be directly degraded by the human body. In addition, according to a Japanese report in 1985, a comparative test of eleven food additives, xanthan gum is the most effective anticancer agent among them.

2. Daily chemical industry: Xanthan gum contains a large number of hydrophilic groups in the molecule, which is a good surface active substance and has the functions of anti-oxidation and preventing skin aging. Therefore, almost most high-end cosmetics contain It uses xanthan gum as its main functional ingredient. In addition, xanthan gum can also be used as a component of toothpaste to substantially thicken and shape, reducing tooth surface wear.

3. Medical aspects: Xanthan gum is a functional component in the currently hot international microcapsule drug capsules, and plays an important role in controlling the sustained release of drugs; due to its strong hydrophilicity and water retention, there are many more. The application of specific medical operations, such as the formation of a dense water film to avoid skin infection; reducing the thirst of patients after radiotherapy, etc. In addition, Li Xin and Xu Lei once wrote that xanthan gum itself can significantly enhance the humoral immune function of mice.

4. Applications in industry and agriculture: In the petroleum industry, due to its strong pseudoplasticity, low-concentration xanthan gum (0.5%) aqueous solution can maintain the viscosity of the drilling fluid and control its rheological properties. Minimal viscosity at the site saves power; high viscosity is maintained at relatively static borehole sites to prevent wellbore collapse. And because of its excellent salt resistance and heat resistance, it is widely used in drilling in special environments such as oceans and high-salt formations.