Gellan Gum: A versatile hydrocolloid used in food and non-food industries

Author : Purvaja Jadhao | Published On : 07 Feb 2024

Gellan gum is a water-soluble anionic polysaccharide exopolysaccharide produced by the microorganism Sphingomonas elodea. Commercially produced by the fermentation of Sphingomonas elodea, it has diverse applications in the food, pharmaceutical and other industrial sectors due to its gelling, thickening and stabilizing properties. In this article, we explore the various uses and benefits of gellan gum.

Properties and production of gellan gum
Gellan gum is a linear anionic polysaccharide composed of tetrameric repeating units of glucose, glucuronic acid and rhamnose. It has high molecular weight ranging from 50,000 to 800,000 Da. Commercially, it is produced by the static or shaken batch fermentation of Sphingomonas elodea. The optimized fermentation conditions allow for high yield production of gellan gum with desirable properties. The gum is then recovered from the fermentation broth through various downstream processing steps involving alcohol precipitation, washing, drying and milling. The purified gum powder is colorless, odorless and tasteless with good thermoreversible gel properties.

Uses in the food industry
In the food industry, gellan gum is widely used as a gelling agent,thickener and stabilizer. Some of its major applications include:

- Gel desserts and confections: Gellan Gum forms firm, elastic gels even at low concentrations (0.5-1%) and over a wide pH range. This property makes it suitable for manufacturing a variety of gel-based desserts like puddings, flans, mousses, yogurt, pie fillings etc.

- Dressings and sauces: It is used to thicken and stabilize various salad dressings, mayonnaise and sauces giving them a smooth texture without affecting taste or appearance.

- Bakery products: Gellan gum acts as an emulsion stabilizer and freeze-thaw protective colloid in doughs and batters for bakery items like cakes and bread. It improves cake volume and texture.

- Meat and dairy products: It is added to processed cheeses, imitation cheeses, meat analogs to achieve desirable melting and shredding properties. In dairy, it is used in non-fat yogurt and acidified milk drinks.

- Beverages: Clear gellan gum gels are used in fruit-flavored beverages and shakes to provide texture without excess calories. It maintains clarity even after thermal processing.

- Confectionery fillings: As a gelling agent, it is suited for manufacturing sugar-free, low-calorie confectionery fillings and coatings.

Pharmaceutical and therapeutic uses
Apart from food, gellan gum has emerging applications in the pharmaceutical and biomedical industries due to its biocompatibility and gelling properties:

- Oral drug delivery: It can be potentially used for manufacturing sustained/controlled release drug delivery systems such as tablets, capsules and suspensions with improved bioavailability of drugs.

- Tissue engineering: Gellan gum hydrogels show potential as scaffolds for tissue engineering of cartilage, bone, skin due to ability to support cell growth and proliferation.

- Wound healing: Its hydrogel dressings formulated with drugs/antimicrobials can facilitate wound healing and prevent infection. Studies have shown its efficacy on burn wounds.

- Ophthalmic applications: The thermoreversible gelling property enables its use in the formulation of advanced ocular drug delivery systems like in situ gels for better retention and drug efficacy.

Other uses
Apart from food and pharmaceuticals, gellan gum has diverse applications in other industrial sectors as well:

- Oil recovery: Used as thickening agent for extraction and displacement of crude oil during enhanced oil recovery process.

- Personal care: Acts as thickener, suspension agent in formulations like creams, gels, mask etc. Improves stability without esthetics.

- Printmaking: Forms ink-receptive gels for applications in printmaking techniques like lithography.

- Bioplastic films: Used as gelling agent to prepare biodegradable edible films for food packaging applications.

Thickening and stabilizing properties, gellan gum has emerged as an important multifunctional hydrocolloid for various industries. Its versatility, thermal reversibility and lack of flavor make it suitable for diverse food applications for improved texture and stability. The food grade purity and biocompatibility also enable its use in areas like tissue engineering, oral drug delivery and wound healing. With ongoing research on new applications, gellan gum is poised to grow further as a sustainable and effective polymer alternative.

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