Gum Ghatti is an exudate of the Anogeissus latifolia tree of the Combreteceae family. The tree has a grey bark and red leaves during the dry season. The gum has a glassy fracture and occurs in rounded tears which are normally less than 1 cm in diameter. It often occurs in larger vermiform masses.
The best crop is harvested when there are no monsoons, the largest collection being in April. The quality of the gum depends on the length of time it has remained on the tree before being picked and the proximity of the tear to the bark of the tree. The colour of the exudate varies from light to dark brown; the lighter the colour the better the quality.
Manufacturing Process
The exudate is first sorted according to quality. Impurities are removed through sifting, aspiration and density table separation. The enhanced exudate is pulverized into a fine powder to give varying grade of Gum Ghatti.
Properties
Gum Ghatti is complex polysaccharide and occurs as a calcium magnesium salt. It mainly consists of L-arabinose, D-glactose, D-mannose, D-xylose and D-gluconic acid. It is nearly odourless and bland in taste. Its colour varies from light to dark brown; the lighter the colour the better the quality.
It is 80-90% soluble in water and forms a colloidal solution in cold or hot water. The viscosity depends on time of harvest, climate during harvest, storage conditions including temperature/humidity and may decrease after storage over 6 months.
Applications
Food:
It can successfully form oil and water emulsions and is therefore used in beverages.
Wax:
It is used to form wax emulsions which finds use as barriers and coatings.
Grades
Gum Ghatti is offered as a fine powder with controlled ash content and differing solubility levels in water.
