2. Introduction
The plant is the primary producer but other than this
it is useful to humans in many other ways by giving it’s
secretions, juices and other biochemical compounds.
The plant mucilages and gums are secreted by the
plant and it is of high industrial importance.
Here, we are going to see about these biologically
useful compounds in detail.
3. Gums:
Gums are the adhesive substances of vegetable (plant)
origin.
They are generally obtained as an exudate from the
barks of trees and shrubs.
Generally these gums and mucilages are exudated by
plants due to the stressed conditions.
But, commercially it is made by creating incision in
the bark and stem.
The production gum by these trees by the process
called as gummosis.
4. Classification of gums:
They are of two types based on the solubility
gums
Water soluble Water insoluble
5. Gum arabic- From acacia sps(gum acacia)
Guar gum- from guar bean.
This guar gum is also called as Guaran that is nothing
but galactomanan (glucose + mannose ).
7. It is used in various process of printing and
photography.
It is used in pyro techniques (fire works)
It is used as food additive and thickening agent.
Guar gum is used in
Nursing homes as thickening agent in foods of
patients.
Explosive agent as a water proofing agent
In pharmaceutical as a medicine for constipation, and
other stomach problems
8. Mucilages
They are defined as gelatinous substance containing
polysaccharides and proteins .this is similar to gums.
They are produced by plants and certain microbes.
It is chemically defined as polar glycoprotein