Gums from Indigenous Plants of Iran: A Review on Physicochemical, Rheological and Functional Properties

Background: Recently, public interests have increased to study novel and vernacular polysaccharides due to their various uses, especially in food formulations as well as pharmaceuticals and herbal medicines. Plant-based gums are commercially produced from a large number of plants that include complex polysaccharides. Scope and Approach: The present study has summarized physicochemical, rheological and functional properties of tragacanth, basil seed and balangu gums from indigenous plants of Iran. Conclusion: The results of this review study demonstrate that the highlighted gums are commonly used as dietary fibers, thickening agents, emulsifiers, stabilizers and drug delivery agents. The general appearance of gums varies from dark-brown to whitish in color. At various concentrations, pH and ionic strengths, aqueous dispersions show great variations in their rheological behavior. In conclusion, industrial applications of these gums are possible as a result of their strong thickening properties. Additionally, significant surface activity and emulsification capacity enable their application in the food, pharmaceutical and/or cosmetic industries.