Sources and methods of manufacturing xanthan by fermentation of various carbon sources

Xanthan gum, an anionic polysaccharide with an exceptionally high molecular weight, is produced by the bacterium Xanthomonas sp. It is a versatile compound that has been utilized in various industries for decades. Xanthan gum was the second exopolysaccharide to be commercially produced, following dextran. In 1969, the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved xanthan gum for use in the food and pharmaceutical industries. The food industry values xanthan gum for its exceptional rheological properties, which make it a popular thickening agent in many products. Meanwhile, the cosmetics industry capitalizes on xanthan gum's ability to form stable emulsions. The industrial production process of xanthan gum involves fermenting Xanthomonas in a medium that contains glucose, sucrose, starch, etc. as a substrate and other necessary nutrients to facilitate growth. This is achieved through batch fermentation under optimal conditions. However, the increasing costs of glucose in recent years have made the production of xanthan economically unviable. Therefore, many researchers have investigated alternative, cost-effective substrates for xanthan production, using various modified and unmodified raw materials. The objective of this analysis is to investigate how utilizing different raw materials can improve the cost-efficient production of xanthan gum.