Gum, Natural

Name:
Gum, Natural
Detailed information:
A carbohydrate high polymer that is insoluble in alcohol and other organic solvents, but generally soluble or dispersible in water. Natural gums are hydrophilic polysaccharides composed of monosaccharide units joined by glycosidic bonds. They occur as exudations from various trees and shrubs in tropical areas or as phycocolloids (algae) and differ from natural resins in both chemical composition and solubility properties. Some contain acidic components, and others are neutral.Note: The terminology of natural gums and resins is inconsistent and often confusing. The word gum, often used as an adjective, seems to acquire a different meaning from the noun. For example, the resinous products obtained from pine pitch (produced by the parenchyma cells of softwoods) are conventionally called gum turpentine, and gum rosin. There are also such gum resins as gum benzoin, gum camphor, and others. The so-called ester gum is a semisynthetic reaction product of rosin and a polyhydric alcohol. All these are actually resinous products having properties quite different from those of natural gums. Furthermore, resins are complex mixtures, whereas gums are compounds that can be represented by a formula. Still further complicating the matter is the common application of the word gum, to such plant latices as chicle and natural rubber, which are different from both carbohydrate gums and resins. It is probable that the confusion originated in the casual use of gum to refer to any soft, sticky product derived from trees. In view of this situation, any specific definition of these terms is likely to be controversial.See Resin; Natural; Polymer, Water-soluble.

Use:

Protective colloids and emulsifying agents in food products and pharmaceuticals, as sizing for textiles, and in electrolytic deposition of metals.See Arabic Gum; Tragacanth Gum; Guar Gum; Karaya Gum.