Physicochemical Parameters for Brea Gum Exudate from Cercidium praecox Tree

Abstract

Brea gum (BG) is a hydrocolloid obtained as an exudate from the Cercidium praecox tree. The physicochemical properties of brea gum are similar to those of the arabic gum and, in many cases, the former can replace the latter. The brea gum was incorporated in 2013 into the Argentine Food Code because of its ancestral background and its current food uses. Brea gum could be also used as additive or excipient for pharmacological formulations. This work reports intrinsic viscosity, coil overlap, and Mark–Houwink–Kuhn–Sakurada (MHKS) parameters of BG solutions. Partially hydrolyzed BG solution was analyzed using intrinsic viscosity measurements, dynamic light scattering and size-exclusion chromatography (SEC). The MHKS parameters, a and k, were determined for BG at 25 °C, with values of 0.4133 and 0.1347 cm3 g−1, respectively. The viscometric molecular weight of BG was 1890 kg mol−1. The hydrodynamic parameters of BG were indicative of a hyperbranched structure and spherical conformation. The knowledge obtained on the physicochemical properties of brea gum favors its use in food and pharmaceutical applications.

Effect of alternative hydrocolloids in gluten‐free chickpea pasta

“…GG was extracted from G. triacanthos grains with ethanol and hot water precipitation, pursuant to Loser et al (2021). BG was obtained after the purification process which includes the following steps: 1-grinding, 2-dissolving, 3-decanting, 4-filtrating, 5bleaching, 6-drying (Masuelli et al, 2018). A hot dry oven (Memmert 600) was used to slowly dry the material that had previously precipitated (35 AE 3 °C during 10 h) and then it was ground using a cyclone mill (Ciclotec TM ).…”

“…Up to 75% of this acidic polysaccharide is made up of hydrolysable sugars, such as D‐xylose, L‐arabinose, 4‐O‐methyl‐D‐glucuronate and D‐glucuronic acid (Spotti et al ., 2016). This tree has the ability to repopulate deserted areas and colonise degraded land and it is a vital economic source for small producers in the semi‐arid region of Chaco, Argentina (Masuelli et al ., 2018). The other hydrocolloid is gledis gum (GG) which is extracted from the seeds of the Gleditsia triacanthos tree.…”