Pullulan

water soluble
Pullulan is a water-soluble, linear homopolysaccharide of glucose that is produced extracellularly by certain strains of the Aureobasidium pullulans fungus. This polysaccharide possesses adhesive properties and can be utilized to create strong, compression moldings, fibers, and oxygen-impermeable films. In the food industry, pullulan films are frequently used as coating or packaging material for dried foods, as a binder for tobacco, plant fertilizers, and seed coatings, as a low-viscosity filler in sauces and beverages, as well as a stabilizer and binder in food pastes. Additionally, this polysaccharide is often used to halt fungal growth in food. As for pharmaceutical applications, pullulan is used as a denture adhesive and an ingredient in sugar-coated pharmaceutical compositions to prevent the development of brownish coloring. Finally, pullulan finds application in lotions, shampoos, and cosmetics.
It is a white, tasteless, and odorless non-crystalline powder that dissolves easily in water and dimethylformamide, but not in alcohol, ether, or oil. Its solution is viscous, stable, and neutral, with no gelling effect. The viscosity of the solution is the same as that of gum arabic, and it has a very good thickening effect of salt resistance, enzyme resistance, heat resistance, and pH value change resistance. It has strong film-forming properties, and the film formed after its aqueous solution is dried on a metal plate has strong gas barrier properties to oxygen and nitrogen. Moreover, it is suitable for making water-soluble edible films and is compatible with other water-soluble polymers.
pullulan: A water-soluble polysaccharidecomposed of glucose unitsthat are polymerized in such a wayas to make it viscous and impermeableto oxygen. Pullulan is used in adhesives, food packaging, andmoulded articles. It is derived fromthe fungus Aureobasidium pullulans.
Pullulan Standards are mostly used to obtain molecular mass distribution of cellulosic samples. It mainly consists of polymaltotriose units linked together by α-(1→6) linkages. Pullulan is a biodegradable polysaccharide made by yeast fermentation, originally developed in Japan. Its adhesive and oxygen impermeable properties enable it to be used to coat pharmaceutical products. It is water soluble, odorless, and edible.