What is Microcrystalline cellulose?
Microcrystalline cellulose (MCC) is a kind of straight chain polysaccharide bound by β-1, 4-glucoside bond [1], which is a very fine, free-flowing, short rod or powdery porous particle of natural cellulose hydrolyzed by dilute acid to limit degree of polymerization (LODP). Composed of white, odorless, tasteless crystalline powder.
In general plant fiber, microcrystalline cellulose accounts for about 70%, the other 30% is amorphous. Microcrystalline cellulose is widely used in pharmaceutical, cosmetic, food and other industries. Different particle size and water content have different characteristics and application scope.

In view of its unique structure and properties, microcrystalline cellulose is widely used as disintegrating agent, stabilizing emulsifier and other national economic sectors such as medicine and health, food and beverage, light chemical industry and so on. Due to the widespread presence of cellulose in nature, hundreds of billions of tons of cellulose-rich biomass residues can be generated every year worldwide. If these residues are well converted and utilized, they will be a rich resource. In China, with the expansion of leather, daily chemical, pharmaceutical, food, chlor-alkali industrial production scale and the improvement of product grade, the demand for microcrystalline cellulose is increasing year by year, so microcrystalline cellulose has a broad market prospect. [4] In foreign countries, microcrystalline cellulose has been listed in the GRAS (Food Additive Safety Index) of FDA in the United States, approved as a food additive in Europe, included in the INACTIVE Ingredient Guide of FDA, and approved for non-injectable preparations in the United Kingdom.

Application of Microcrystalline cellulose
Microcrystalline cellulose is commonly used as an adsorbent, suspension aid, diluent and disintegrating agent. Microcrystalline cellulose is widely used in pharmaceutical preparations, mainly as a diluent and binder in oral tablets and capsules, not only for wet granulation but also for dry direct tablet pressing. There is also some lubrication and disintegration, which is very useful in the preparation of tablets
Microcrystalline cellulose can also be used as a sustained-release agent in pharmaceuticals. The process of sustained release is the entry of the active substance into the porous structure of the carrier. The active substance is contained by intermolecular hydrogen bonds and fixed after drying. When the active substance is released, due to water diffusion in the capillary system of the polymer carrier, the bond between the base and the fixed active substance is destroyed, and the active substance is released slowly.
Microcrystalline cellulose powder can form a stable dispersion system in water, which can be combined with drugs to make cream or suspension liquid medicine, and can also be used as capsules. Microcrystalline cellulose is strongly stirred in water to form a gel, which can also be used in the manufacture of paste and suspension type pharmaceutical preparations.
In the food industry, microcrystalline cellulose, as a kind of dietary fiber and the ideal health Food Additives, can maintain the stability of the emulsion and foam, maintain the stability of high temperature, improve the stability of the liquid, the UN food and agriculture organization (fao) and the world health organization's food additives joint appraisal committee of certification and approval, the corresponding also come fiber products, It is widely used in dairy products, frozen food and meat products.