Natural gum

Human uses

Gums are used in the food industry as thickening agents, gelling agents, emulsifying agents, and stabilizers, and in other industrial adhesives, binding agents, crystal inhibitors, clarifying agents, encapsulating agents, flocculating agents, swelling agents, foam stabilizers, etc. When consumed by humans, many of these gums are fermented by the microbes that inhabit the lower gastrointestinal tract (microbiome) and may influence the ecology and functions of these microscopic communities.

Commercial significance

Humans have used natural gums for various purposes, including chewing and the manufacturing of a wide range of products. Before the invention of synthetic equivalents, trade in gum formed part of the economy in places such as the Arabian peninsula (hence the name "gum arabic") and West Africa. | editor1-last = Wiseman | editor1-first = Nicholas Patrick | editor1-link = Nicholas Wiseman | publication-place = London | publication-date = 1838

Peach gum

Main article: Peach gum

Peach gum, the solidified resin from peach and Chinese wild peach trees, is a natural ingredient that has seen a recent increase in popularity due to claims about collagen content and skin improvement, though many of these claims lack scientific evidence. It has a long history of consumption in China, where it is commonly used in sweet soups, desserts, and beverages.

Historically, its curative qualities have been detailed in classical Chinese medical literature for treating urinal infections, quenching thirst, and relieving stress.

Examples

Natural gums can be classified as extracted from natural sources or manufactured. They can also be classified as uncharged or ionic polymers (polyelectrolytes). Examples include (with E number food additive code):

References

References

1. (27 November 2012). "Bacteria of the human gut microbiome catabolize red seaweed glycans with carbohydrate-active enzyme updates from extrinsic microbes". Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.
2. (April 2022). "Mechanistic insights into consumption of the food additive xanthan gum by the human gut microbiota". Nature Microbiology.
3. "Ingredient: Peach Gum".
4. (2 March 2016). "军医科普："桃胶"的功效和使用".