The occurrence, production and applications of exudate gums

Exudate gums are obtained as the natural exudates of different tree species and exhibit unique properties in a wide variety of applications. These gums are among the oldest natural gums which were being used as thickening and stabilizing agents. The three major exudate gums—gum arabic, gum tragacanth, and gum karaya—possess a unique range of functionalities between the other exudate gums. They have been important items of international trade in the food, pharmaceutical, adhesive, paper, textile, and other industries for centuries. The chemical structure, occurrence and production of the different gums and an overview of the main application fields of the different gums, in food are discussed in this paper

Keywords:

Exudate gums , Gum arabic , Gum tragacanth and Gum karaya