Due to its unique properties, xanthan gum has been widely used in more than a dozen fields such as food, petroleum, medicine, daily chemical industry, etc. Its high degree of commercialization and wide application range make any other microbial polysaccharide in the dust.
1. Food: many foods are added with xanthan gum as stabilizer, emulsifier, suspension agent, thickener and processing auxiliary agent.
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 dressing, bread, dairy products, frozen food, drinks, condiments, brews, confectionery, cakes, soup and canned food.
In recent years, people in more developed countries often worry that the calorific value in food is too high to make themselves fat. Xanthan gum, because it can not be directly degraded by the human body, dispels this concern.
In addition, according to a 1985 Japanese report, among eleven food additives tested, xanthan gum was the most effective anticancer agent.
2. Daily chemical industry: Xanthan gum contains a large number of hydrophilic groups in its molecules, which is a good surface active substance, and has the effect of anti-oxidation and preventing skin aging. Therefore, almost most high-end cosmetics take Xanthan gum as its main functional component.
In addition, xanthan gum can also be used as the substance of toothpaste to thicken and shape, and reduce tooth surface wear.
3. Medical aspects: xanthan gum is a functional component in the international hot microcapsule material, and plays an important role in the control of drug slow release;
Because of its strong hydrophilicity and water retention, there are many specific applications in medical operations, such as the formation of dense water film, so as to avoid skin infection;
To relieve the patient’s thirst after radiotherapy.
In addition, Li Xin and Xu Lei wrote that xanthan gum itself has a significant enhancing effect on humoral immunity in mice.
4, industrial and agricultural applications: in the petroleum industry, due to its strong pseudoplasticity, low concentration of xanthan gum (0.5%) aqueous solution can maintain the viscosity of drilling fluid and control its rheological properties, so in the high-speed rotation of the bit viscosity is very small, save power;
High viscosity is maintained in the relatively stationary borehole to prevent wall collapse.
And because of its excellent salt resistance and heat resistance, it is widely used in the ocean, high salt zone and other special environment of drilling, and can be used as oil recovery displacement agent, reduce dead oil area, improve oil recovery rate.