Tragacanth gum : functionality and prebiotic potential
HASSAN AHMADI GAVLIGHI, ANNE S. MEYER, J. DALGAARD MIKKELSEN
ABSTRACT: Tragacanth gum is a plant derived hydrocolloid that has a long history of use in food, pharma, and cosmetics. The gum is mainly produced in the Middle East and permitted for food use in the US and Europe. Tragacanth gum consists of complex, heterogeneous polysaccharides, which contain different highly substituted pectin-like structural elements. Enzymatically produced low molecular- weight fractions of tragacanth gum exhibit potential prebiotic activity by promoting growth in vitro of Bifidobacterium longum subsp. infantis strains. These findings may lead to new uses of this gum for production of value-added prebiotic compounds for functional foods.
KEYWORDS: Gum tragacanth; viscosity; prebiotic; Bifidogenic; enzymatic depolymerisation.
