Viscogum™ Guar Gum

Many leguminous plant seeds contain galactomannans. The guar gum, obtained from seeds of Cyamopsis tetragonolobus, a leguminous plant originating from India and Pakistan, is known for its thickening properties. It is also cultivated in the United States.

The guar fruit is a pod, its seeds having an average diameter of about 5 mm. These contain a reserve substance - albumen. From the exterior to the interior, the fruit is made up of:

• The hull.
• The albumen or endosperm, which is light cream colored, made up of two hemispherical segments (splits) that surround the germ. Its main component is the polysaccharide.
• The germ which is rich in proteins.

The is quite recent: its development started due to the lack of carob in 1940. Used in large industrial scale as of 1950.

Properties

• Development of instantaneous viscosity at room temperature (cold soluble)
• Creates a long texture with low release of taste
• There is no interaction (gelification) with other polysaccharides, but high synergic effect with xanthan (viscosity)