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The evaluation of intra- and intermolecular interactions of xanthan gum (XG) in aqueous systems containing salts is essential to understand the effects of such substances on the physicochemical properties of XG dispersions. In this study, XG dispersions with KCl, LiCl, NaCl, MgCl₂ and CaCl₂ (ionic strength = 150 mmol∙L⁻¹), or without any salt, were prepared. Cations from different chloride salts had no significant influence on the apparent viscosity of the dispersions (p-value < 0.05). However, the presence of cations increased the density of dispersions, except in the case of that containing Li⁺. Molecular dynamics (MD) simulations were undertaken seeking to gain insights into the interactions underlying such findings. Compared to the control system (without salt), the presence of cations induced an increase in intramolecular interactions of XG, especially through hydrogen bonds (H-bonds) between the main …