Seed gums

Carob bean waste (Carob)gum [9000-40-2] Carob seed gum Caroflex MP Caro s acid... 

Locust Bean Gum. Locust bean gum [9000-40-2], also known as catob seed gum, is a galactomannan extracted from the endosperm of the catob tree seed which is cultivated in the Mediterranean area. The primary use of locust bean gum is in dairy appHcations such as ice cream. It is often used in conjunction with carrageenan because the chemical stmctures of the two enable them to cross-link and form a gel (85). 

The botanical gums represent a family of polysaccharides obtained from a wide variety of plant sources. They are subdivided into exudate gums, seed gums, and gums obtained by extraction of plant tissue. For a gum to be used in commercial quantities, it must be present in the tissues or be readily extractable in relatively pure form which limits the number of commercial botanical gums. 

Although most seeds contain starch as the principal food reserve, many contain other polysaccharides and some have industrial utility. The first seed gums used commercially were quince, psyUium, flax, and locust bean gum. However, only locust bean gum is stiU used, particularly in food appHcations quince and psyllium gums are only used in specialized appHcations. 

Tamarind Gum. Tamarind gum [39386-78-9] is another seed gum with potential industrial appHcation. It is obtained from the seed kernels of the tamarind tree, Tamarindus indica which is cultivated in India and Bangladesh. The seeds are a by-product from the production of tamarind pulp which is used as a food flavor. Seed production is 150,000 t/yr. 

Psyllium Seed Gum. PsyUium seed gum [8036-16-9] is derived from plants of the genus Plantago several species of which are used as commercial sources. However, most current production is from Plantago ovata grown in India. The gum is located in the coat which is removed by cracking. The gum is then extracted with boiling water and separated from the insoluble residue by filtration. It consists of mixtures of both neutral and acidic polysaccharides, the composition of which is species dependent (66). 

The purified gum hydrates slowly in water to give viscous solutions at concentrations up to 1% and clear gelatinous masses at higher concentrations. PsyUium seed gum is a laxative additive and is used in cosmetics and in hair-setting lotions. 

As predictable from the similarity of the properties of the two gums, quince seed gum is used in the appHcations described above for psyllium seed gum. Specific appHcations are in cosmetics and hair-setting lotions. It has also been used as an emulsifier and stabilizer in pharmaceutical preparations. 

The heteroxylans (CHX) present in cereals, seeds, gum exudates, and mucilages are structurally more complex [6]. They have a (1 4)-)0-d-xylopyranose backbone decorated, except of the single uronic acid and arabinosyl residues with various mono- and oligoglycosyl side chains. Reinvestigations of CHX isolated from corn bran [52] have confirmed that the xylan backbone is heavily substituted (at both positions 2 and 3) with y0-D-Xylp, y0-L-Ara/, of-D-GlcpA residues and oligosaccharide side chains (1), (3) and (4). 

The Cassia angustifolia GaM possesses the potential to become a new source of commercial gum due to its high content in the endosperm (about 50%) and its valuable rheological properties. It was suggested, in a similar way as for other GaMs, for usage as an additive in pharmaceutical formulations [188, 246]. Also the Ipomoea seed gum in its natural form, and after modification by grafting, has the potential to be used as a commercial gum [178]. 

Gupta, S., Sharma, P. and Soni, P. L. 2005. Chemical modification of Cassis occidentalis seed gum Carbamoylethylation. Carbohydrate Polymers, 59(4) 501-506. 

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