Hydrocolloids

Guar gum

Guar gum is obtained from the seeds of the guar gum bush (Cyamopsis tetragonolobus) which is an annual leguminous plant originating from India and Pakistan. Guar gum is a natural thickening agent that can be used in a wide range of products. It has a water-binding capacity which provides extremely high viscosity in water-based systems even at low dosage levels and it also has the advantage of being cold soluble. Guar gum is used widely due to its synergism with xanthan gum and is known to be one of the most cost-effective natural thickeners available.

Brand name

• VISCOGUM™

Cargill’s products are available in various viscosities to suit the applications for which they are intended.

Applications

The versatile thickening properties of guar gum make it an invaluable ingredient in numerous applications across personal care. It can be used alone or in combination with other hydrocolloids for neutral products and powder products.

Functionalities

Texture modifier
Syneresis control
Viscosity control

Chemistry

Guar gum, like locust bean gum, is a galactomannan consisting of a mannose chain branched with galactose units. The main chain consists of (1-4) linked beta-D mannose residues and the side chain of (1-6) linked alpha-D galactose. Guar gum has an overall ratio of mannose to galactose of around 2:1. Because the galactose substituents are regularly distributed along the mannose chain, they prevent gel formation maintaining the main chains without interactions.

Guar gum is cold water-soluble and has instant viscosity development at room temperature. It creates a long texture with a reduced flavor release. Guar gum does not interact (gelation) with other polysaccharides but shows a high synergistic effect with xanthan gum (viscosity).