Gum, tragacanth

Tragacanth is a gum which is obtained by incision of the stems of various species of Astragalus. The main gum-yielding species are thorny shrubs found in the mountains of Asia minor, Syria, Armenia, Kurdistan, Irak, and Iran. 

When the plant is injured, the cell walls of the pith and of the medullary rays are gradually transformed into gum. The gum absorbs water and produces internal pressure within the stems, thus forcing the gum to the surface through the incision caused by the injury. It gradually hardens owing to the evaporation of water. 

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It is used in hard candies and as a foam stabilizer in marshmallows. The similar products gum tragacanth, gum karaya, and gum ghatti are used in much the same way—as acid-resistant thickeners in sauces and salad dressings. 

Pectin, ground psyllium seed husks, karaya gum, tragacanth gum, and agar have also been used, but are not well accepted today. The use of many of these hydrocolloids in frozen confections singly and in combination, is covered by patents too numerous to list. 

Natural Plant Tree and shrub exudates Karaya gum Tragacanth gum Gum acacia... 

Although the pyrolysis of some classes of polysaccharide materials has been studied quite extensively in the food, petrol and tobacco industry, very little has been published specifically on polysaccharide binders (arabic gum, tragacanth gum, fruit tree gum, honey and starch). The pyrolysis of glucane based polymers, especially cellulose, has been studied in detail [6,55], highlighting how anhydrosugars and furan derivatives are the main pyrolysis products, together with one-, two- and three-carbon aldehydes and acids. 

Plant — Arabic gum — Tragacanth gum — Karaya gum — Ghatti gum Cellulose derivatives — Carboxymethylcellulose — Methylcellulose — Hydroxyethylcellulose — Cellulose acetate phthalate... 

Belkin et al. 29> were first to examine various polysaccharide fractions from higher plants for their antitumor activity. They could demonstrate that many of these fractions produced haemorrhagic necrosis in different tumor types. In most cases, the polysaccharides were injected intraperitoneally into mice carrying Sarkoma 37 ascites tumor. The result was a progressive increase in cell volume and in cytoplasmic vacuolization. Osswald 30) found that tragacanth, gum arabic, and CMC reduced tumor cells in Ehrlich ascites carcinoma in female NMRE mice. The effect depended upon the dose, the route of injection, and the molecular size of the polysaccharides administered. 

Tragacanth Gum ), myrrh, pistachio nuts, and almonds. Genesis... 

Tragacanthin A complex mixture of polysaccharides containing some galacturonic acid residues The soluble component of the natural (plant origin) tragacanth gum Binder (in tablets) and demulcent... 

The peak of pleisma concentration (0.4-2 fig/ml) of hydroxytyrosol was recorded at 5 min after oral administration of 10 mg of compound suspended in tragacanth gum. The plasma concentration dropped sharply, clearance was rapid and no levels were measurable after two hours. The results are rather preliminary nevertheless it appears that bioavailability of hydroxytyrosol is rather low, compared to the administered dose, but no conclusions could be drawn as no information is available on whether hydroxytyrosol is metabolized in the gastrointestinal tract. 

The gum consists of a mixture of water-insoluble and water-soluble polysaccharides. Bassorin, which constitutes 60-70% of the gum, is the main water-insoluble portion, while the remainder of the gum consists of the water-soluble material tragacanthin. On hydrolysis, tragacanthin yields L-arabinose, L-fucose, D-xylose, D-galactose, and D-galacturonic acid. Tragacanth gum also contains small amounts of cellulose, starch, protein, and ash. 

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. 

Tragacanth gum is also used similarly in cosmetics and food products, and has been used as a diluent in tablet formulations. 

Tragacanth gum occurs as flattened, lamellated, frequently curved fragments, or as straight or spirally twisted linear pieces from 0.5-2.5 mm in thickness it may also be obtained in a powdered form. White to yellowish in color, tragacanth is a... 

Solubility practically insoluble in water, ethanol (95%), and other organic solvents. Although insoluble in water, tragacanth gum swells rapidly in 10 times its own weight of either hot or cold water to produce viscous colloidal sols or semigels. See also Section 18. 

The WHO has not specified an acceptable daily intake for tragacanth gum, as the daily intake necessary to achieve a desired effect, and its background levels in food, were not considered to be a hazard to health. ... 

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