1. Structure

Xanthan gum is a substance secreted by bacteria (see Box 1). It is a huge molecule. Its molecular mass is estimated at between 1.5 x 10 ⁶ and 5 x 10 ⁶ daltons, or 1.5 to 5 t/mol!

Its approximate and average gross formula is :

Xanthan gum is a polymer consisting of d-glucose, d-mannose and d-glucuronic acid, in molar proportions of 2, 2, 1, partially acetylated and pyruvylated.

The degree of acetylation depends...