Xanthan gum: A versatile biopolymer for biomedical and technological applications

Abstract

Xanthan gum is an extracellular polymer produced mainly by the bacterium Xanthomonas campestris. Traditionally it plays an important role in industrial applications as thickener, emulsion stabilizer and it has been added to water-based drilling fluids due to its pseudoplastic behavior and thermal stability. The structural properties of xanthan in solution can be tuned by the temperature and ionic strength; under high ionic strength or low temperature, xanthan chains are arranged in helical conformation, whereas under low ionic strength or high temperature, xanthan chains are coiled. Xanthan high molecular weight favors the building up of physical and chemical networks, which have been used as carriers for drugs and proteins and as scaffolds for cells. In combination with other polymers xanthan has been applied as excipient in tablets or as supporting hydrogels for drug release applications, particularly due to its acid resistance. The large versatility of xanthan gum opens the possibility for the creation of new architectures and additional applications involving this fascinating polymer. AIMSThe purpose of this review is to report on the applications of xanthan gum in biomedical and technological products over the last ten years, but revisiting the background and the highlights of traditional applications as thickener. The in vivo biodegradability and biocompatibility of xanthan gum are fundamental characteristics that allow its use in biomedical applications. The ability to form networks and acid resistance make xanthan gum, as pure excipient or in combination with other polymers, very attractive as drug carriers. The recent combinations with inorganic particles open a range of new applications.

Pectin at the oil-water interface: Relationship of molecular composition and structure to functionality

“…Grossiord & Agnely, 2012; McClements & Gumus, 2016; Petri, 2015). Pectin is a 72 polysaccharide that is widely utilized across food and pharmaceutical industries as a 73 gelling material, stabilizer or delivery agent.…”

Influence of collagen addition on the thermal and morphological properties of chitosan/xanthan hydrogels

“…Its chemical structure is composed of glucose, mannose, glucuronic acid acetate and pyruvate and the glucuronic acid gives this polymer a negative charge [3]. Xanthan gels have application in a variety of biomedical areas such as ophthalmology, implantology, tissue engineering and controlled drug release systems [4].…”

Evaluation of interactions of biopolymers using dynamic rheological measurements: Effect of temperature and blend ratios

“…In aqueous solutions, XG adopts a rigid helix conformation which on heating undergoes an order‐disorder transition to become a random coil. Although XG does not form true gels on its own, it forms self‐supporting gels in mixtures with galactomannans containing low galactose content …”