SUCCINOGLYCAN
SUCCINOGLYCAN, also called succinoglycan, is a polysaccharide made by soil bacteria during fermentation. It does not come from a plant: it is a chain of sugars released by microorganisms in the Rhizobium, Agrobacterium and Sinorhizobium groups. On an ingredient list, the name therefore refers to a microbially derived material obtained through a fermentation process.
SUCCINOGLYCAN: what it is
SUCCINOGLYCAN, also called succinoglycan, is a polysaccharide made by soil bacteria during fermentation. It does not come from a plant: it is a chain of sugars released by microorganisms in the Rhizobium, Agrobacterium and Sinorhizobium groups. On an ingredient list, the name therefore refers to a microbially derived material obtained through a fermentation process.
The structure described for succinoglycan from Sinorhizobium meliloti contains seven glucose units and one galactose unit, together with succinyl, acetyl and pyruvyl groups. The amount of those groups can vary with the bacterium and culture conditions. This makes succinoglycan different from plant gums and from succinic acid: despite the similar name, it is a sugar polymer rather than an isolated acid.
SUCCINOGLYCAN: what it does in cosmetics
In cosmetics, SUCCINOGLYCAN is listed for skin conditioning, meaning use intended to help keep the skin in good condition in the product where it is included. That listing does not, on its own, state the concentration or turn the ingredient into a treatment for a skin concern; the result a person notices depends on the finished formula and how it is used.
Laboratory research on bacterially produced succinoglycans has examined the polymer's structure and the behavior of its solutions, including viscosity and response to heat. Those findings help explain technical interest in the material for cosmetic preparations, but they are not trials of a finished cosmetic applied to people. They do not show that isolated SUCCINOGLYCAN moisturizes skin, controls microorganisms, or treats acne, wounds, or other skin conditions.
Products containing this ingredient
See which products include it and the name used in each composition.
