title: Evaluation of the physico-chemical properties of a new polysaccharide gum from Prosopis africana.
abstract: The gum obtained from the ripe seeds of Prosopis africana was processed to compendial standard for plant gums and characterised. Toxicological studies of the polysaccharide on mice showed the material to be safe. The material hydrates slowly in aqueous media to form a colloidal dispersion. Swelling studies on the gum shows that the gum has a higher swelling capacity than methylcellulose. Rheological studies showed that the material is more viscous than tragacanth gum at equivalent concentrations. Acid hydrolysis and thin layer chromatography of the resulting hydrolysates showed that the gum contains glucose, fructose, galactose and xylose as the monosaccharide components. Microbial tests showed the gum to contain 8.26 x 10(4) viable cells per gram when freshly prepared. Other properties of the gum evaluated includes; melting or charring temperature, optical properties, true density, ash values, element content as well as its reactions with lead subacetate solution and 0.02 M iodine.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pharmaceutics, Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Nigeria, Nsukka, Nigeria.
authors.forename: M U
authors.initials: MU
authors.lastname: Adikwu
authors.forename: S I
authors.initials: SI
authors.lastname: Ezeabasili
authors.forename: C O
authors.initials: CO
authors.lastname: Esimone
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002400:Cathartics / Q000494:pharmacology; D055598:Chemical Phenomena; D002627:Chemistry, Physical; D005260:Female; D051379:Mice; D010946:Plants, Medicinal / Q000737:chemistry*; D011134:Polysaccharides / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000494:pharmacology
chemical_list: D002400:Cathartics; D011134:Polysaccharides