Emulsifying agents tragacanth

Hand lotions, of the emulsion type, are also, in most cases, oil in water emulsions. A true emulsifying agent is usually used to form the emulsion and for cleansing properties. Vegetable gums, like tragacanth or Irish moss extract, are added, not only to stabilize the emulsion but to increase the emollient properties, because of the added viscosity effect. 

Emulsions are suspensions of fats or oils in water with the inclusion of an suitable emulsifying agent (e.g. gum acacia, gum tragacanth) e.g. Castor oil emulsion. Cod liver oil emulsion for internal use. One such emulsion is also used externally e.g. benzyl benzoate emulsion. 

Because of their large interfacial area, emulsions are basically unstable. In order to produce a stable emulsion, a surfactant is mostly needed. The surfactants are adsorbed at the oil-water interface, forming a link between the two phases of different polarity. For this purpose, a wide variety of emulsifying agents is currently available. Polysaccharides such as arabic gum, tragacanth, Karaya gum, and different seaweed carbohydrate polymers have been employed. They, however, show considerable batch-to-batch variations and might support microbial growth. 

Gums, e.g., arabic, tragacanth (emulsifying agents) Rare hypersensitivity reactions [7,70]... 

Incompatible with halides anionic emulsifying agents and suspending agents tragacanth starch talc sodium metabisulfite sodium thiosulfate disodium edetate silicates aluminum and other metals amino acids ammonia and ammonium salts sulfur compounds rubber and some plastics. 

The antimicrobial activity of phenylmercuric salts may be reduced in the presence of anionic emulsifying agents and suspending agents, tragacanth, starch, talc, sodium metabisul-fite, sodium thiosulfate, disodium edetate, and silicates... 

It is an effective suspending agent for pharmaceuticals and is used in conjunction with acacia as an emulsifier, the tragacanth imparting a high stmctural viscosity while the gum arabic adsorbs at the oil/water interface. It is also used in spermicidal jellies, acting by immobilising spermatozoa and as a viscous barrier. 

Tragacanth gum is used as an emulsifying and suspending agent in a variety of pharmaceutical formulations. It is used in creams, gels, and emulsions at various concentrations according to the application of the formulation and the grade of gum used. 

USE As denture adhesive as binder in paper manuf as stabilizer, thickener, texturizer, emulsifier in foods as thickening agent for dyes in textile industry. A substitute for gum tragacanth. 

Viscosity is possibly the most important single consideration for evaluating gum tragacanth. It can be called a yardstick for judging quality and serves as a guide to its behavior as a suspending agent, stabilizer, or emulsifier (16, 17). 

Use of gum tragacanth dates back thousands of years ago as an emulsifier, viscosity builder, and suspending agent [3]. It has been recognized as generally safe in food stuffs at the 0.2-1.3% level in the USA since 1961. It has been coded as E413 in the list of additives by the Scientific Committee for Food of the European Community [4]. 

Gum tragacanth has the ability to extensively modify the rheology of aqueous media even at low concentrations. Thus, it has foxuid uses as suspending agent, stabilizer, emulsifier [4] and sustained release agent [56,61,62]. It has also been studied for topical applications [63]. 

Tragacanth is used as a thickening agent, emulsifier and stabiliser in salad dressings, ice creams, pastry fillings and other products. 

Storage Store in tightly closed containers in a cool, dry, and well-ventilated area away from oxidizing agents and sources of extreme heat Uses Protective colloid stabilizer, vise, control agent, thickener, emulsifier in cosmetics, foods, pharmaceuticals thickener for textile dyes textile coatings denture adhesive binder in paper mfg. pharmaceuticals (tablet excipient, bulk laxative) substitute for gum tragacanth... 

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