IGEM:IMPERIAL/2009/Encapsulation/Phase2/Xanthan Gum

=Xantham Gum for another encapsulation option=

General
Food thickening agent
 * approved by FDA back in 1965
 * well characterised

Structure
Xanthomonas campestris pv. campestris is a plant- pathogenic bacterium that produces the exopolysaccharide xantham gum.



Biosynthesis
similar to E.coli up till the GDP-Mannose stage.



Encapsulation
no papers were found for encapsulation by itself. all (3 papers) have been complexing with chitosan to form polyelectrolyte complex.

Xanthan-chitosan PEC gels were studied as microcarriers mostly for encapsulation of enzymes and the studies on the applicability of the system for bacterial cells are scarce Xantham2

The cell release in SGF at pH 2.0 was negligible suggesting that xanthan-chitosan capsules have a good potential for delivery of probiotic cells to intestines. Xantham2

Results indicated that probiotic bacteria encapsulated in alginate, xanthan gum, and carrageenan gum survived better (P < 0.05) than free probiotic bacteria, under acidic conditions Xantham1

Useful papers

 * 1) Xantham1 pmid=19323757


 * 1) Xantham2 http://www.lib.umd.edu/drum/bitstream/1903/7826/1/umi-umd-5112.pdf