| Abstract: Background: Recently, public interests have increased to study novel and vernacular
polysaccharides due to their various uses, especially in food formulations as well as pharmaceuticals
and herbal medicines. Plant-based gums are commercially produced from a large number of plants
that include complex polysaccharides.
Scope and Approach: The present study has summarized physicochemical, rheological and functional
properties of tragacanth, basil seed and balangu gums from indigenous plants of Iran.
Key Findings and Conclusion: The results of this review study demonstrate that the highlighted
gums are commonly used as dietary fibers, thickening agents, emulsifiers, stabilizers and drug delivery
agents. The general appearance of gums varies from dark-brown to whitish in color. At various
concentrations, pH and ionic strengths, aqueous dispersions show great variations in their rheological
behavior. In conclusion, industrial applications of these gums are possible as a result of their strong
thickening properties. Additionally, significant surface activity and emulsification capacity enable
their application in the food, pharmaceutical and/or cosmetic industries. |