CP Kelco has launched gellan gum, a gelling excepient with brand names Kelcogel and Gelrite in the Indian market. Gellan gum is a polysaccharide produced by fermentation of a pure culture of Sphingomonas elodea (previously known as Pseudomonas elodea).

This multi-functional hydrocolloid finds application in a wide variety of pharmaceutical products like ointments, creams, lotions, eye care and hair care products, which require gelling, texturizing, stabilizing, suspending, film-forming and structuring. It also is applied in encapsulation, tablet disintegration, controlled release applications, and NDDS, including oral, mucosal and transdermal applications.

Besides, gellan gum, the company has Xanthum gum range of products in pharmaceutical (Xantural) and oral care (Keldent) segments. Xanthum gum is an excepient used for the retention of water in lotions, syrups, lotions, toothpastes and ointments.

The Xantural range has been designed to meet the specific needs of the pharmaceutical industry. Keldent is designed for use as a toothpaste binder. It gives a smooth, shiny paste that is easy to extrude from the tube or dispenser. Keltrol for the personal care industry is used to stabilize suspensions and oil-in-water emulsions against separation.

According to Burzin Navsariwalla, director, Burzin & Leons, CP Kelco controls about 50 per cent of the Xanthum gum market in the country and finds client base in major pharma companies including Ranbaxy, and Nicholas Piramal.

“Our products are manufactured according to bulk pharmaceutical excipient guidelines published by the International Pharmaceutical Excipients Council (IPEC) and are certified to meet the requirements specified in the USP/NF, European Pharamcopoeia, and Japanese Pharmaceutical excipient monographs,” said Navsariwalla.

CP Kelco is a company formed in September 2000 after the merger of Copenhagen Pectin/Food Gums Division of Hercules Inc and the kelco Biopolymers group of Monsanto/Pharmacia Corporation. Recently a seminar was arranged by CP Kelco demonstrating its products in India. Burzin and Leons Agenturen Pvt. Ltd, the sole distributor of CP Kelco in India, organized the seminar.