Role of guar in agro-industries

Abstract

Agricultural sustainability has the highest priority in all countries, whether developed or developing. Guar-native to the Indian subcontinent is a drought tolerant, multi-purpose legume crop cultivated mainly in the kharif season in arid environments. Guar gum is an edible thickening agent extracted from the guar bean. Guar beans have a large endosperm which contains galactomannan gum which forms gel in water. It mainly consists of hydrocolloidal polysaccharide with a high molecular weight, which consists of galactopyranose- and mannopyranose- units in glycosidic linkage which can be chemically described as galactomannan. The guar seed comprises three parts: the seed coat (14-17%), the endosperm (35-42%), and the germ (43-47%). In India the commercial production of Guar gum is normally undertaken by using process of roasting, differential attrition, sieving and polishing. Guar plays an important role in many industries like oil well drilling, textile printing, paper, explosive, mining, frozen food, bakery, dairy products, beverages, pet foods, slimming aids, diabetic treatment, tablet preparation, ointment, soaping and shampoo, etc. as it is one of the best thickening additives, emulsifying additives and stabilizing additives and thus an important foreign exchange earner for the country.