Sodium carboxymethyl beta-glucan  a chemical compound, the sodium salt of a carboxymethyl ether of beta-glucan. Beta-glucan  is a generic term for polysaccharides with a linear structure that contain beta bonds. They have a high viscosity and are water-soluble. They have a molecular weight-related prebiotic action that positively influences normalisation of serum cholesterol levels, has an anti-obesity effect, and can reduce postprandial glucose elevation. Recent studies have shown that they can also be useful in modern strategies for preventing and inhibiting tumour growth.

It appears in the form of white or brown powder.  Insoluble in water.

What it is used for and where it is used

Beta glucan and chitosan are substances widely used in the pharmaceutical, medical and food industries for their properties in influencing cholesterol and lipid levels. The carboxymethylation and subsequent amidation or methyl esterification steps make it possible to achieve a high degree of substitution in the prepared derivatives. The microbial formation comes mainly from brewer's yeast.

Medicine

Sodium carboxymethyl beta-glucan in combination with resveratrol has proved effective as a nasal solution in the treatment of childhood colds (1). β-D-glucan has also been found to have antioxidant properties with scavenging capacity (2).

Insecticides

This study evaluated the bioactivity and biotoxicity of a new type of smart-delivery fungicide formulation using carboxymethyl beta-glucan against certain types of pathogens, Fusarium graminearum, Sarocladium oryzae, Rhizoctonia solani and Colletotrichum truncatum. The results demonstrated excellent bioactivity against these pathogens (3).

Cosmetics

It is used in personal care products as an ingredient to provide anti-ageing and anti-wrinkle effects in addition to a nourishing effect including skin-lightening efficacy.

Binder agent. A binding compound that is used in cosmetic, food and pharmaceutical products as an anti-caking agent with the function of making the product in which it is incorporated silky, compact and homogenous. The binder, either natural such as mucilage, gums and starches or chemical, may be in the form of a powder or liquid.

Viscosity Enhancing Agent - acqueous and non acqueous. Since viscosity is important for increasing the chemical and physical stability of the product, Viscosity Enhancing Agent non acqueous is an important dosage factor in gels, suspensions, emulsions, solutions. Increasing viscosity makes formulations less sedimentary and more homogeneously thickened.

Sodium carboxymethyl beta-glucan studies

References______________________________________________________________________

(1) Baldassarre, M. E., Di Mauro, A., Labellarte, G., Pignatelli, M., Fanelli, M., Schiavi, E., ... & Laforgia, N. (2020). Resveratrol plus carboxymethyl-β-glucan in infants with common cold: A randomized double-blind trial. Heliyon, 6(4), e03814.

(2) Babincova, M., Bačová, Z., Machova, E., & Kogan, G. (2002). Antioxidant properties of carboxymethyl glucan: comparative analysis. Journal of medicinal food, 5(2), 79-83.

(3) Kaziem, A. E., Yang, L., Lin, Y., Song, Z., Xu, H., & Zhang, Z. (2022). Efficiency of mesoporous silica/carboxymethyl β-glucan as a fungicide nano-delivery system for improving chlorothalonil bioactivity and reduce biotoxicity. Chemosphere, 287, 131902.