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Daily Archives: October 8, 2019

Research and Development on the Guar Gum Value Chain for Food Industry
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With a high year to year variation in production and exports of the guar gum and derivatives, there is need for closer review of the whole value chain to identify priority areas where focus can be directed. Guar gum is used in the food and bakery industry since a good number of food stuffs and food related product compositions require the usage of colloids to alter the behavior of water compared to other components. The guar gum is an effective stabilizer, binder, thickener and water proofing agent in various food products.

Sector Wise Applications of Guar Gum

The sector wise application of guar shows that the food industry consumes approximately 25 – 30 % of guar gum produced from India, 60% of the production is up taken by petroleum and mining industries while the remaining 10 – 15% is up taken by the textile industry. Over 80% of the global guar production and export comes from India in the form of refined splits, gum powder and guar meals.

guar gum powder from india

Emerging Issues and Constraints Related to Guar Gum Powder

Production Technologies

There have been a number of technologies developed for improved production of the guar gum. These include improved seed varieties, better / improved planting methods, better agronomical practices, soil fertility management, moisture conservation and other quality aspects. It has been shown from research that adoption of line sowing method enhances grain yield by over 35%.

Production in Non-Traditional Areas and Seasons

Cultivation has now been transferred to regions where it was not done previously in India. These new areas have potential for better moisture conservation and have been able to produce over 1800kg/ha of grain yield.

Dissemination of Technology

Most producers lack the knowledge of the emerging technologies in guar production and processing. This constraint is also attributed to lacking financial resources to access information.

High Gum Content and Varied Viscosity Levels

There is little variation in the gum content among the various guar varieties which ranges from 29 – 30% only. There is need for this content to be increased to about 35% which will increase the guar gum yield and the ultimate profitability of the crop. This can be achieved through more biotechnological research aimed at acceleration of gum content and viscosity.

Constraints and Development Opportunities of Guar Gum

  • Growth period: Currently, the available varieties of guar gum mature in 90 days. There is need for developing early maturing varieties. Research shows that the S. Serrata, a wild guar species can be used as a source for earliness in the guar crop.
  • Plant type Improvement: there is ongoing research on producing crops with less biomass and more reproductive area, as well as crops that will achieve greater synchronization of flowering for greater grain yields.
  • Improved gum quality for specific applications: Guar gum for food manufacturing requires high gum content and should also have good viscosity.

Production of odorless and tasteless guar for food and feeds applications can also be a key area of research. For gelling applications, depletion of the galactose molecules can also be an area of innovation.

Phytochemical Constituents of Cassia Gum that Have Changed Lives
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It is estimated that a high percentage of people living in the developing countries rely on various forms of traditional medicines for primary health care needs. The medicinal properties of these plants have made a great contribution in the development of traditional herbal therapies. The cassia gum contains a wide variety of phyto-pharmaceuticals that have become very important in various industries such as agriculture, human and vetinary medicines.

It is believed that herbal medicines have lesser side effects and less costly compared to the allopathic medicine. The cassia tora plant is well known for its extracts having high laxative and purgative purposes. The cassia gum powder is always utilized in research for its photochemistry and pharmacological properties ranging from anti – diabetic action to anti viral activity in the body. The powder has been reported in ancient ayurvedic literatures against skin diseases such as ring worms, eczema and scabies.

Cassia Gum

Phytochemical Constituents of Cassia Gum

Some of the important Phytochemicals of the cassia tora seeds include the cinnamaldehyde, gum, tannins, mannitol, coumarins pinene and eugenol. The leaves and seeds have been found to have laxative, antiperiodic, anthelmintic, ophthalmic, liver tonic, cardio tonic and expectorant properties. The chemicals have also been found to have anti leprosy activity, anti flatulence, anti bronchitis effect and high anti cough effects.

In the sub continent of India, the cassia plant extracts are used as natural pesticides in farms operating organic farming techniques.

Life Changing Cassia Gum Powder Medication on Malaria Parasites

In a detailed research on the Phytochemicals of the cassia tora plant, the cassia gum powder extract, processed through various chemically advanced methods also showed the presence of Glycosides and Saponins. The cassia gum powder extracted from the cassia tora plant showed to have strong larvicidal activity against the Anopheles stephensi mosquito species. The maximum action has been shown to occur when the alcoholic extraction method is used for the active ingredient in the cassia gum.

Tablet Binder Properties of Cassia Gum Powder

There is a lot of research going on for the usage of the cassia powder in the process of tablet binding during tablet manufacturing. This is due to the presence of the gluco-mannose chemicals on the seeds of the plant. The dried and coarse powder seeds of the cassia tora show a high percentage of mucilage that is useful in the tablet binding process. Furthermore the data shows that the mucilage has a favorable PH of 5.6 – 6.5, that has no effect on the gastro intestinal tract and the gum is suitable for use in uncoated tablets.

Other Functional Uses

The processed cassia gum galactomanan has important differences from other related galactomanans. The presence of a high number of galactose side chains prevents the synergistic gelling effects with other anionic polymers. Due to this fact, a smaller amount of the hydrocolloid blend of cassia gum is required to achieve similar effect, compared to when carrageenan alone is used. This translates to high savings on cost when large scale manufacturing is done.

As a result of this, the cassia gum powder has gained popularity in food industries such as in the manufacturing of cheeses, frozen dairy desserts, meat products such as salads and sandwiches and in the making of poultry products.

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