Gum Arabic Project | fractionation,physiochemical properties & mineral content of gum arabic & its fractions

Gum Arabic from Acacia senegal (Wild) has been fractionated by a foaming method into two fractions, high protein fraction (HPF) that represents 30% of the gum and a low protein fraction (LPF) which represents 70% of the gum. A comparative study between the crude gum and the two fractions carried out in the scope of their physio-chemical properties. A proximate analysis of the crude gum and the two fractions(HPF and LPF respectively) revealed that, the moisture content(10.11,10.04 and 10.05) and specific rotation( -31,-30 and -30) were insignificantly different whereas ash%(3.7,3.33 and 3.03), acid insoluble ash%(0.3,0.135 and 0.145), acid insoluble matter% (0.18, 0.55 and 0.58) and pH ( 4.49, 4.47 and 4.25) were significantly different . The nitrogen (0.28, 1.51 and 0.007) and protein content (1.85, 10.01 and 0.05) and the intrinsic viscosity (17, 44.5 and 6 cm-3/g) were, highly, significantly different. Mineral composition of crude gum, fractions HPF and LPF revealed that LPF had the highest content of calcium (17590) whereas HPF had the highest potassium and magnesium composition(4417 and 1717 respectively).