A review of the enzymatic, physical, and chemical modification techniques of xanthan gum

Xanthan gum (XG), a bacterial polysaccharide has numerous valuable characteristics in the food, biomedical, pharmaceuticals, and agriculture sector. However, XG has also its particular limitations such as its vulnerability to microbial contamination, inadequate mechanical and thermal stability, unusable viscosity, and poor water solubility. Therefore, XG's structure and conformation need to be modified enzymatically, chemically, or physically to improve its optimistic features and decrease the formation of crystals, increase antioxidant ability, and radical scavenging activity. We have found out different means to modify XG and elaborate the importance and significance of the modified structure of XG. In this review, different enzymes are reviewed for XG degradation, which modifies their structure from different points (main chain or side chain). This article also reviews various physical methods (ultrasound, shear, pressure, sonication, annealing, and heat treatments) based on prevailing publications to alter XG conformation and produce low molecular weight (LMW) and less viscous end-product. Moreover, some chemical means are also discussed that result in modified XG through crosslinking, grafting, acetylation, pyruvation, as well as by applying different chemical agents. Overall, the current progress on XG degradation is very auspicious to develop a new molecule with considerable uses, in various industries with future assessments.