Abstract

Xanthan gum is a branched and high molecular weight polysaccharide predominantly secreted by Xanthomonas campestris. It is composed by D-glucosyl, D -mannosyl, and D-glucuronyl acid residues in a 2:2:1 molar ratio and variable proportions of O-acetyl and pyruvyl residues. Side-chains consist of a trisaccharide composed of mannose (β-1,4) glucuronic acid (β-1,2) mannose, attached to alternate glucose residues in the backbone by α-1,3 linkages. Xanthan chains can form chemical networks (XCA) by reacting them with citric acid, an efficient nontoxic crosslinker for polysaccharides. Nanocomposites of XCA and inorganic nanoparticles have been successfully used as scaffolds for cellular uptake. Composites of XCA and xanthan-nanohydroxyapatite or its equivalent strontium substituted were suitable for osteoblasts growth and induced high alkaline phosphatase activity. Immerging XCA films for ten seconds in a dispersion of magnetite (Fe3O4) nanoparticles enabled the creation of successful hybrid scaffolds for fibroblast proliferation, particularly under a magnetic field of 0.4 T, and for neuronal cells with outstanding differentiation.