Gum arabic

About: Gum arabic is a research topic. Over the lifetime, 2197 publications have been published within this topic receiving 47782 citations. The topic is also known as: acacia gum.

Design of encapsulation method for chlorogenic acid and caffeine in coffee waste by-product.

Abstract: INTRODUCTION Coffee silver skin (CSS) is a thin covering over green coffee seeds inside coffee cherry. It is a good source of bioactive compounds like chlorogenic acid and caffeine. It is produced as a by-product of the roasting process. OBJECTIVE The goal of this study is to apply spray drying method to encapsulate 5-O-caffeoylquinic acid (chlorogenic acid) and caffeine extracted from CSS. METHODS The main-plots for optimisation were feed solid concentration (2.5, 5, 10°Bx), and the sub-plots of the whole-plot were carrier material type (maltodextrin, modified starch, arabic gum) and inlet air temperature (130, 160, 190°C). Responses included were drying yield, chlorogenic acid concentration, caffeine content, Carr index, and solubility values. RESULTS Suitable conditions were spray drying inlet temperature of 190°C, extract concentration of 10°Bx, and wall material composition [modified starch/arabic gum (MS:AG)] 10.5:9.5. As the feeding CSS extract concentration increased, the amount of chlorogenic acid and caffeine in the final powder increased, while the powder's flow characteristics improved. CONCLUSIONS The concentration stage might be used to produce free-flowing powdered particles with good bioactive retention for use in the food processing industry.

Physicochemical, functional and microbial properties of crude and processed gum arabic (Acacia senegal)

Abstract: Eight gum arabic formulations, namely; hand picked selected, cleaned, sifting, kibbled 105, kibbled 107, kibbled 119, kibbled 121 and spray dried were subjected for physicochemical, functional and microbial analysis in an attempt to set standard specifications for each. The formulations considered varied between raw and processed gum arabic of Acacia senegal to find out the influence of processing on properties of gum arabic. The analysis included certain parameters like; shape, color, mesh, solubility, moisture content, specific optical rotation, relative viscosity, intrinsic viscosity, acid insoluble ash, pH, ash, nitrogen, protein, reducing sugars, tannin, uronic acid, apparent equivalent weight, molecular weight, water holding capacity, emulsifying stability, bacterial count, yeasts count, moulds count and salmonella count. Water solubility showed some variations among the different gum formulations, with the highest for the spray dried (98.80%) and the lowest for the sifting formulation (97.40%). However the solubility in organic solvents (ethanol, acetone and chloroform) was generally very low yet with variations among the different formulations. The moisture content ranged between 9.90% for the hand picked selected and 8.32% for the spray dried. The specific optical rotation for the spray dried gum was 31.63, whereas the raw hand picked selected gave -31.28 and the sifting -24.50. The relative viscosity was almost similar for the eight formulations as 1.44 ml/gm for the spray dried, whereas the intrinsic viscosity showed differences among the eight gum arabic formulations(GAF), with the highest for the kibbled 105 (18.85) and the lowest for the kibbled 119 (11.49). The acid insoluble ash was lowest in spray dried (0.07%) and highest in sifting formulation (0.37%), for the pH the overall average was 4.22. The ash content ranged between 3.91% for the kibbled 121 and 3.05 for the spray dried. The nitrogen ranged between 0.42% for the hand picked selected and 0.37% for the spray dried. However, for reducing sugars, uronic acid and apparent equivalent weight, no significant differences were recorded between GAF and the values were 1.07%, 13.53%, and 1439.25 as an average respectively. The maximum water holding capacity was recorded for the spray dried (69.51%) and the least was in kibbled 105 formulations (66.43%). The maximum level in emulsifying stability was recorded for kibbled 107 and spray dried formulations as 1.03. Bacterial counts in cfu/gm (microbial load), ranged between 1.73×10 for hand picked selected and 1.33×10 for kibbled 119, no bacterial count was detected in the spray dried formulation. Less than 10 cfu/gm counts were detected for Moulds in all formulations. Further more the spray dried was found to be free of mould. No yeast and salmonella were detected in all formulations. The comparative studies indicated that, about 96% of the values of the parameters and factors studied in the GAF were consistent with the prescribed standards and specifications for gum arabic.

Gum arabic collection in northern Kenya : unexploited resources, underdeveloped markets

Abstract: Gum arabic is a resin collected from several types of Acacia tree growing most densely in arid and semi-arid lands in East Africa and the Sahel. Kenya is particularly well endowed with gum-yielding trees but exports only small amounts of gum. Methodology: A combination of descriptive livelihood and value chain analysis was used to gain insight into the socio-economic characteristics of collectors and the role of gum arabic in their livelihood. Results: The degree of poverty encountered is considerable with most collectors barely able to maintain a subsistence level. Marketed quantities of gum arabic are low, collection practices are rudimentary, and the market is severely underdeveloped. Conclusion: Thin markets, evidenced by a lack of specialised traders and the infrequency of their visits, removes incentives for increasing the quantity and quality of marketed gum arabic. Only when this situation changes will collectors be motivated to improve their current collecting and marketing practices, for which there is ample scope. Key words: gum arabic, Kenya, poverty, market development, non-timber forest products