Guar Gum and Oleoresin Properties Quiz

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Questions and Answers

What type of carbohydrate is guar gum classified as?

Hydrocolloidal polysaccharide (correct)

Fiber

Starch

Simple sugar

Which of the following components make up guar gum?

Glucose and fructose

Cellulose and hemicellulose

Galactan and mannan (correct)

Sucrose and lactose

Which of these is described as a safe alternative to guar gum?

Cornstarch

Inulin

Psyllium (correct)

Gelatin

What type of linkages are found in the structure of guar gum?

Glycosidic linkages Signup and view all the answers

What differentiates guar gum from typical dietary fibers?

It is a hydrocolloidal polysaccharide. Signup and view all the answers

What was done to the trunk of the box?

It was cut and a blaze cut was applied around it. Signup and view all the answers

How was oleoresin removed from the box?

With a dipper at regular intervals. Signup and view all the answers

What happened to the oleoresin after it was collected?

It was sent in barrels to a distillery. Signup and view all the answers

Why was the length of the box increased over time?

To accommodate more oleoresin collection. Signup and view all the answers

What is a likely characteristic of the oleoresin collected?

It is typically a viscous fluid. Signup and view all the answers

What is the primary method mentioned for obtaining juice from the plant?

Incision Signup and view all the answers

What happens to the juice after it is obtained from the plant?

It is dried Signup and view all the answers

What can be inferred about the residue mentioned after obtaining juice from the plant?

It is wasted Signup and view all the answers

Which term describes the material obtained after the juice is dried?

Dried extract Signup and view all the answers

What is predominantly retained after the juice is extracted from the plant?

Plant residue Signup and view all the answers

What is the appearance of gelatin?

Colorless or pale yellow and translucent Signup and view all the answers

Which of the following statements about gelatin is true?

It can be cut into strips or made into a granular powder. Signup and view all the answers

Which of these characteristics does gelatin NOT possess?

Strong taste Signup and view all the answers

What form can sheet gelatin take?

Strips or granular powder Signup and view all the answers

What best describes the odor and taste of gelatin?

Little odor or taste Signup and view all the answers

What is the primary function of guar in relation to cholesterol levels?

It lowers cholesterol levels by binding bile salts. Signup and view all the answers

What property allows the substance to be used as an antiseptic?

Antimicrobial activity Signup and view all the answers

How does the thickening power of guar compare to starch?

Guar has 5-6 times the thickening power of starch. Signup and view all the answers

Which viruses are mentioned in relation to the substance's effects?

Herpes simplex and syphilis Signup and view all the answers

In which industry is guar predominantly used due to its properties?

Food industry Signup and view all the answers

What is an effect of the substance on the skin?

Tightens and balances skin Signup and view all the answers

What mechanism is suggested for guar's cholesterol-lowering effect?

By binding bile salts in the gut. Signup and view all the answers

What is a characteristic feature of guar compared to starch in food applications?

It has a significantly higher thickening power. Signup and view all the answers

Which pH property is associated with the mode of action of the substance on skin?

Astringent pH properties Signup and view all the answers

What condition is associated with inflammation of the eye that the substance can address?

Eye inflammation from herpes simplex Signup and view all the answers

Study Notes

Unorganized Drugs

Definition: Mixtures of chemical substances or decomposition products of substances found in the biological source of the drug.
Source: Derived from parts of plants or animals (through processes like incision, decoction, and expression).
Forms: Solid to semisolid, some are fluids like oils or balsams.
Description: Lacks cellular structure; identified through physical characteristics (form, color, fracture), solubility, and chemical tests.

Classification

Resins & Resin Combinations: Large organic aids for protection.
- Resins: Colophony, Guiacum
- Oleoresins: Mastic, Copaiba, Canada Turpentine
- Oleogumresins: Myrrh, Asafoetida
- Balsams: Benzoin, Balsam Peru
Gums: Polysaccharides. Examples: Acacia, Tragacanth, Guar
Dried Extracts: Agar, Gelatin
Dried Juices: Aloes
Dried Latex: Opium (milky exudate, emulsion or suspension).
Oils & Fats
Saccharine Substances : Honey

Resin vs. Gum

Feature	Resin	Gum
Nature	Mixture of organic compounds, mainly acids (solid or highly viscous)	Heteropolysaccharide polymers
Production in plant	Natural or pathological; collected by incision	Pathological; produced after incision
Solubility	Soluble in alcohol, organic solvents; insoluble in water	Soluble in hot water; insoluble in alcohol
Function for plant	Protection (often with antimicrobial activity)	Protection against exudation of plant constituents from injured parts

Resins and Resin Combinations

General Characters: Hard, solid or semisolid, amorphous organic substance of complex nature.
Insoluble in water, mostly insoluble in petroleum ether, but soluble in alcohol, chloroform, ether, and many organic solvents, as well as fixed and volatile oils and chloral hydrate.
Forms solutions; on evaporation, deposit as a varnish-like film.
Upon heating, soften and melt; burn with a smoky flame.

Occurrence

Pure Resin
Resin + volatile oils → oleoresins
Resin + gums → gum-resins
Resin + oil + gum → oleo-gum-resins
Resin + sugar → glycosidal resin

How to Obtain Resin

Extraction with ethanol and precipitation in water.
Plant punctures
Heating
Distillation to separate volatile oil from oleoresin (secondary flow is produced from injury, primary flow is produced without injury).
Box method (cutting into the trunk)
Cup and gutter method (incisions, cups to collect).

Boswellia (Frankincense)

Names: Frankincense
Botanical Origin: Oleogum resin from Boswellia serrata
Active Constituents: Boswellic acid isomers, volatile oil (p-cymene and thujene)
Uses: Anti-inflammatory (osteoarthritis), anticancer, antiasthmatic (in Ayurveda).

Dosage (Boswellia)

300-400 mg of a standardized extract (containing 60% boswellic acids) three times daily is suggested.

Oleogum Resin: Myrrh

Names: MyrrhGum Myrrh
Botanical Origin: Oleogum-resin, obtained from stems and branches of Commiphora molmol
Active Constituents: Volatile oil (with cuminaldehyde and eugenol), ẞ and y-commiphoric acids, gum (galactose, arabinose, xylose)

Myrrh Uses

Antimicrobial and antiulcer activities
Externally used for hemorrhoids, bedsores, and wounds.
Treatment for mild inflammatory skin problems (anti-inflammatory and anti-ulcer effects).
Sesquiterpenes provide antibacterial, antifungal, and analgesic effects.

Benzoin (Balsam)

Balsamic resin from the bark of Styrax species.
Contains benzoic or cinnamic acids.
Uses: Perfumes, incense, flavoring, laryngitis, bronchitis (inhalation), wound healing.

Gums

Gum acacia; Gum tragacanth; Guar gum

Gum Acacia (Gum Arabic)

Name: Gum Arabic
Botanical Origin: Dried gummy exudation from Acacia senegal
Composition: Polysaccharide exudate

Agar-Agar

Names: Agar, Japanese Isinglass
Botanical Origin: Dried mucilaginous substance prepared from Gelidium corneum (red algae)
Properties: Insoluble in cold water, soluble in hot water. Contains Ca salt of polysaccharides; yields D-and L-galactose and sulfate ions (agarose and agaropectin).
Agarose, a neutral galactose polymer, is responsible for agar's gel strength. Agaropectin is responsible for solution viscosity (sulphonated).

Dried Extracts

Agar-Agar
Gelatin
Gambir or Catechu

Dried Juices (Aloe)

Name: Aloes; aloe
Botanical Origin: Solid residue from evaporated liquid of transversely cut leaves of Aloes species (Liliaceae family).
Aloe Juice (comes spontaneous from incision of leaves—pericycle)
Aloe-gel (pith—inside leaf tissues)

Aloetic Juice Constituents

Aloin (major cathartic constituent): C-glycosides (barbaloin and isobarbaloin).
Resin (Alosin): Purgative action, small amount of aloe-emodin
Aloe-gel (mucilage): Saccharide containing glycoproteins, mucopolysaccharides, or polysaccharides of glucomannan.

Aloe Action and Uses

Aloe gel has no laxative effect; used in cosmetics, topical products, and as a moisturizer/emollient.
Antimicrobial and antifungal (tinea, Streptococcus, Shigella).
Treatment for psoriasis (hydrophilic cream).
Spermicide, chemo-preventive agent for cancer, and peptic ulcers.
Stimulant purgative (aloe juice).
Contains anthrones, more effective than anthraquinones as purgatives.

Dried Latex (Opium)

Names: Gum Opium, Raw Opium (أفيون)
Composition: Dried milky exudation from unripe Papaver somniferum capsules (Papaveraceae family)
Quality: Judged by morphine content (minimum 9.5% anhydrous).

Opium Preparation and Collection

Incising the unripe capsule to allow milky latex to ooze out.
Scraping, kneading, and wrapping the latex in leaves for drying in the shade.
Color changes from milky white to chocolate brown upon standing.

Opium Action and Uses

Remedy for intolerable pain (post-operative, severe trauma).
Relieves intense pain (cancer patients, angina pectoris).
Increases the efficacy of anesthetics; reduces the dosage required; prevents shock.
Preferred treatment for excessive diarrhea.
Used for polyuria (especially true diabetes), reducing urine output and blood sugar.

Opium Addiction

Highly addictive with physical and psychological dependence.
Requires tolerance to maintain the same effect (increasing dosages over time).
Withdrawal symptoms include nausea, tearing, yawning, chills, and sweating.
Contains over 19 alkaloids combined with meconic acid (meconates); sometimes combined with sulfuric acid or free as the weak base narcotine.
The presence of meconic acid serves as an indication of opium presence.

Chemical Tests

Agar-Agar: Soluble in hot water; insoluble in cold water, also reacts with BaCl2 (white precipitate, BaSO4). Agar + iodine, reddish color.
Gelatin: Insoluble in cold water, absorbs liquid; dissolves with heating and forms jelly, reduced gel strength with long boiling. A test with picric acid yields canary yellow precipitate. A test with CuSO4 and NaOH produces violet color (Biurette test).
Opium/Glycosides: Modified Borntrager’s test for C-glycosides (filtration with benzene, a ferric chloride solution—oxidizes anthrone to anthraquinone, further treated with HCl and ammonium hydroxide to indicate a cherry-red color in benzene layer).
Meconic Acid: To an aqueous solution of meconic acid, add ferric chloride for coloration; blood-red.
Oils and Fats, Saccharine Substances are not listed here.

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Description

Test your knowledge on guar gum and oleoresin with this quiz. Explore the characteristics, structure, and extraction processes related to these substances. This quiz covers essential concepts that differentiate them from typical dietary fibers and their uses.