Pharmaceutical Applications of Guar Gum

It has various applications in the form of a binding agent, thickening agent, suspending agent and stabilizing agent. Guar gum acts as antimicrobial, appetite suppressant, antiproliferative, laxative and hypolipidemic agent and therefore used in therapeutical formulations.

Guar gum is water soluble nonionic polysaccharide derived from endosperm of Cyamopsis Tetragonolobus, this is leguminous plant belonging to family of galactomannans. Widely grown in dry semi-arid regions like India and Pakistan, this guar seeds are extracted and processed from the plant using advanced technologies. Guar gum has high molecular weight and therefore has got the ability to produce highly viscous solutions even at lower concentrations. This property of guar gum gives it the required solubility and ability to form gels even in cold water.

Guar gum or the valuable guarkernmehl as called in German, is widely used in the form of powder in various pharmaceutical applications. It is widely preferred for its viscosity increasing properties. Guar gum has high hydration rate which mean it can swell fast in aqueous solutions and therefore is used in the production of therapeutical formulations to forms gels and viscous dispersions. Guar gum as a binder and disintegrator is used in tablet manufacturing processes to enhance the cohesiveness in the drug powder for forming tablets. The product obtained from the seeds of guar plant is also an effective thickener and stabilizer which is used in formulation of tablets in pharma industries.

All in all there are number of applications of guar gum powder in pharmaceutical industries. It is preferred for applications where gelling, viscosifying, thickening, suspension, stabilization, emulsification, preservation, water retention, binding is the primary requirement.

Guar gum is effective in controlling blood sugar or the common diabetes. It has ability to decrease postprandial plasma glucose, insulin and triglyceride concentrations and therefore helps in control of the chronic disease. Apart from diabetes, cancer and obesity can also be treated or controlled using guar gum. As a non-caloric source of soluble dietary fiber, guar gum can be very effective in weight loss. When taken as food additive, it gives a feeling of fullness and reduces hunger in the individuals. It is a useful product for colon cleansing and help in cleaning the intestinal system for the proper functioning of intestines. Guar gum’s C-glycosylated derivatives have got good anti-inflammatory and anti-proliferative properties and therefore preferred in various therapeutic formulations in pharmacy.

Conclusion

Studies have been and are to this day being performed on guar gum to investigate its therapeutic values in pharmacy. Several tests have been conducted to study the uses of guar gum as a food, cosmetic and pharmaceutical additive. Studies on different derivatives of guar gum like guar acetate, guar phthalate, guar acetate phthalate, carboxymethyl guar and oxidized guar gum are going on today in order to find their relevancy in pharmaceutical and therapeutic sectors. However studies till now conducted on the guar gum call it a valuable pharmaceutical product whose contribution in medical field is enormous.

Agro Gums is the leading supplier of guar gum and its products in India exporting high quality guar gum powder, guar gum splits, guar meal and fast hydration guar gum powder to various countries across the world.

This article educates reader about guar gum applications in pharmaceutical applications.

This article has been written by Biren Patel working at Agro Gums. Agro Gums is a guar and cassia gum manufacturing company offering high quality guar gum powder, fast hydration guar gum powder, cassia powder, guar splits and guar meal to satisfy the production requirements of various industries across the world.