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 a good taste. Therefore, it is widely used in salad dressings, bread, dairy products, frozen foods, beverages, condiments, brewing, candy, pastries, soup, and canned foods. In recent years, people in more developed countries tend to worry about the high calorific value in food and making them fat. Xanthan gum has dispelled this concern because it cannot be directly degraded by the human body. In addition, according to a report from Japan in 1985, comparative tests were conducted on 11 food additives, and xanthan gum was the most effective anticancer agent among them.
In daily chemical industry:
Xanthan gum contains a large number of hydrophilic groups, which is a good surface active substance and has antioxidant and anti aging effects. Therefore, almost all high-end cosmetics use Xanthan gum as their main functional component. In addition, xanthan gum can also be used as a component of toothpaste to substantially thicken and shape, reducing tooth surface wear.
In medicine:
Xanthan gum is a functional component of the currently hot microcapsule drug capsule material in the world, and plays an important role in controlling drug release; Due to its strong hydrophilicity and water retention, it has many specific medical applications, such as forming a dense water film to avoid skin infections; Alleviate thirst after radiation therapy. In addition, Li Xin and Xu Lei once wrote that xanthan gum itself has a significant enhancement effect on the humoral immune function of mice.
Industrial and agricultural applications:
In the petroleum industry, due to its strong pseudoplasticity, a low concentration of xanthan gum (0.5%) aqueous solution can maintain the viscosity of the drilling fluid and control its rheological properties, resulting in minimal viscosity at high-speed rotating drill bits, saving power; While maintaining high viscosity at relatively static borehole locations, preventing borehole wall collapse. Due to its excellent salt resistance and heat resistance, it is widely used in drilling in special environments such as the ocean and high salt zone, and can be used as an oil recovery and displacement agent to reduce dead oil zones and improve oil recovery.