Tamarind xyloglucan: a polysaccharide with versatile application potential

Abstract

A huge amount of new information on xyloglucan (obtained from tamarind kernel) is available in the literature. A lot of research on applications of this polysaccharide has been performed in the last ten years. The research on xyloglucan extracted from tamarind kernel is compiled and presented in a comprehensive way in this article. The purpose of this review is to give an overview of the structure and properties of tamarind xyloglucan and to discuss some recent advances and future prospects of this polysaccharide in various application areas like drug-delivery technology, food technology and textile industry, etc. The article is intended to serve as a useful tool for beginners as well as for researchers actively involved in the fascinating area of green polymeric materials. It is likely to benefit large numbers of end users of this polysaccharide also.Polysaccharides are easily available bio-based materials that have a unique combination of functional properties and environmentally friendly features. They have two main functions in nature. The first consists of the structuring of plants, wood and animal skeleton (cellulose and chitin). The second function consists of energy storage (starch and glycogen). Mother Nature produces polysaccharides at a colossal pace: a thousand billion tons a year. The annual synthetic polymer production is a thousand time less than this and mainly uses oil as a raw material which is non-renewable. Polysaccharides are renewable materials, produced from biological compounds, and generally are non-toxic and biodegradable. These features make polysaccharide materials a natural fit for sustainable development.Polysaccharides are carbohydrate polymers and their long chain structures, as in man-made polymers, provide good mechanical properties for applications such as fibers, films, adhesives, melt processable plastics, thickeners, rheology modifiers, hydrogels, drug delivery agents, emulsifiers, etc. With the exception of some linear polysaccharides such as cellulose, polysaccharides are water soluble polymers, capable of forming hydrocolloids in a suitable solvent system. Some of the commercially important polysaccharides are starch, cellulose and its derivatives, xyloglucan, sodium alginate, xanthan gum, guar gum, dextran, carrageenan, and hyaluronic acid. Many polysaccharides, such as carrageenan, agar, methylcellulose, and hydroxymethylcellulose, are used mainly because of their thickening and gelling properties. Many polysaccharides, such as cellulose, pectin, alginic acid and dextran, are used for drug releasing purposes. Several polysaccharides (e.g. mushroom glucans, tragacanth and gum arabic) have been shown to possess physiological activity as immunostimulants or antitumor drugs.Xyloglucans (XGs), also called amyloids, are widespread in nature in plants. Xyloglucan is a highly substituted, food grade, starch-like polysaccharide and is present in the primary cell walls of dicotyledons and non-graminaceous monocotyledons. It also exists in some seeds of trees growing in the tropical

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