Xanthan gum

Structural formula
General
Surname	Xanthan gum
other names	XANTHAN GUM ( INCI ) ; E 415 ; Xantan;
CAS number	11138-66-2
Monomers / partial structures	Glucose , glucuronic acid , mannose , pyruvic acid
Brief description	Polysaccharide
properties
Physical state	firmly
safety instructions
GHS labeling of hazardous substances	no GHS pictograms
	no GHS pictograms
H and P phrases	H: no H-phrases
	P: no P-phrases
As far as possible and customary, SI units are used. Unless otherwise noted, the data given apply to standard conditions .

Xanthan (rarely xanthan ) is a naturally occurring polysaccharide . It is obtained with the help of bacteria of the genus Xanthomonas from sugary substrates and is used as a food additive with the E number E 415 as a thickening and gelling agent. Xanthan is approved for organic food.

Xanthan cannot be metabolized by the human organism and is therefore counted as a dietary fiber . It is partially broken down in the intestine by the microorganisms that live there . In high doses it can have a laxative effect. Xanthan is still considered to be harmless to health. No cases of allergies , intolerance or hypersensitivity are known.

structure

The backbone of the xanthan polymer is formed by β- (1 → 4) -linked D -glucose units. Every second glucose unit is α - (1 → 3) -glycosidic a β - D -mannopyranosyl- (1 → 4) - β - D -glucuronopyranosyl- (1 → 2) -6- O -acetyl- α - D -mannopyranosyl -Side chain knotted. About half of the terminal mannose units of this side chain form a ketal with pyruvic acid via the hydroxyl groups at positions 4 and 6 . Occasionally the acetyl group or a side chain can be completely absent.

Applications

Xanthan swells in an aqueous solution and thereby increases the viscosity of the medium. It is therefore used as a thickener z. B. in dairy products, guacamole, sauces , tomato ketchup , mayonnaise , mustard and dressings as well as in vegetarian foods.

In combination with locust bean gum (E 410), it forms rubbery gels. In addition, the water retention capacity of dough is increased with xanthan, which z. B. Delays the staling of bread. This reduces the formation of ice crystals during the production of ice cream and keeps suspended matter evenly and finely distributed in fruit juices.

It is also an important ingredient in molecular cuisine. Xanthan is also used in numerous products in the cosmetics industry, for example in lotions , shampoos , toothpaste , liquid soaps and mascara . Xanthan is also used to make lubricants . Technically it is used in explosives and drilling mud.

A special characteristic of xanthan solutions is that they have a pseudo yield point . May further xanthan with locust bean gum together synergistically act to form thermoreversible gels which are distinguished by a very good water retention capacity and high elasticity.

In 2003 the annual world production of xanthan gum was around 20,000 tons .

A health claim with the aim of using it as an appetite suppressant was rejected by the European Food Safety Authority , as no causal relationship could be proven.

Individual evidence

↑ Entry on XANTHAN GUM in the CosIng database of the EU Commission, accessed on January 16, 2020.

↑ Entry on E 415: Xanthan gum in the European database for food additives, accessed on August 6, 2020.

↑ George Holzwarth: Molecular weight of xanthan polysaccharide. In: Carbohydrate Research . 66, 1978, pp. 173-186, doi: 10.1016 / S0008-6215 (00) 83250-4 .

↑ ^a ^b Xanthan gum data sheet (PDF) from Carl Roth , accessed December 25, 2012

↑ Xanthan at Zusatzstoffe-online.de (a database with information on food additives).

↑ ^a ^b Entry on xanthan gum. In: Römpp Online . Georg Thieme Verlag, accessed on February 27, 2013.

↑ Alicja Mortensen, Fernando Aguilar u. a .: Re ‐ evaluation of xanthan gum (E415) as a food additive. In: EFSA Journal. 15, 2017, doi : 10.2903 / j.efsa.2017.4909 .

↑ Coltec Xanthan Gum .

↑ www.transgen.de: Xanthan - Additives database. Retrieved July 7, 2018 .

↑ Scientific Opinion on the substantiation of health claims related to xanthan gum and increased satiety (ID 838) pursuant to Article 13 (1) of Regulation (EC) No 1924/2006, doi: 10.2903 / j.efsa.2010.1481

[CosIng-1] Entry on XANTHAN GUM in the CosIng database of the EU Commission, accessed on January 16, 2020.

[E-Nummer415-2] Entry on E 415: Xanthan gum in the European database for food additives, accessed on August 6, 2020.

[3] George Holzwarth: Molecular weight of xanthan polysaccharide. In: Carbohydrate Research . 66, 1978, pp. 173-186, doi: 10.1016 / S0008-6215 (00) 83250-4 .