Microbial polysaccharide Gellan Gum

Microbial polysaccharides are high molecular weight carbohydrate polymers.They are produced by a wide variety of microorganisms.  

They might be neutral like dextran or acidic like Gellan Gum in nature.

Acidic polysaccharides for example -Gellan Gum is extracellular polysaccharide produced through fermentation by Sphingomonas elodea,it is water soluble gum which has novel and unique physical properties. Is commercially more important when possessing ionized groups such as carboxyl, which can function as polyelectrolytes.

In Gellan’s native or high-acyl form, two acyl substituents—acetate and glycerate—are present. Both substituents are located on the same glucose residue and, on average, there is one glycerate per repeat and one acetate for every two repeating units.

Microbial polysaccharides have great commercial importance due to its ability to modify the flow characteristics of solutions (rheology). Polysaccharides can increase the viscosity and be used as thickening and gelling agents.

Applications

-Gellan gum is used as a thickener, binder, and stabilizer in different food applications. It mainly stabilizes the water-based gels, such as desserts and drinking jellies. Even gellan replaces gelatin in some dairy products, such as yogurt and sour cream in vegan items.

-Additionally, it is also used in low-calorie (sugar-free) jams where pectin is not functional, fruit preparations, yogurt, sauces, nonfat salad dressings, and films.

-Gellan use is best for reducing the setting time of starch confectionary;

-it also prevents sticking together of candies when exposed to a warm environment.

-Also can be used in many other industries,like oil industry,plant tissue culture,paper making.etc

Legislative and History

Gellan gum was first approved in Japan in 1988. Use of gellan gum has been approved legislatively in the United States, Canada, Australia, Europe, Latin America, South America, and Asia for use in foods, cosmetics, pharmaceuticals, and nonfood products. In the United States it has approval of the FDA and in Europe it is classified as food additive E 418.


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