Kheri (Acacia chundra, family: Mimosaceae) gum: Characterization using analytical, mathematical and pharmaceutical approaches.

BACKGROUND: Natural polymers have been used in medical, pharmaceutical, cosmetic and food industry. They should be characterized before their possible applications in different industries.

OBJECTIVES: The objective of this study was to characterize Kheri (Acacia chundra, family: Mimosaceae) gum using analytical, mathematical and pharmaceutical approaches.

MATERIAL AND METHODS: Crude Kheri gum (KG) was purified using distilled water as a solvent and ethanol as a precipitating agent. KG was characterized in terms of phytochemical screening, micromeritic properties, microbial load, ash value, rheological behavior, solid state 1H nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR), mass spectra and Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) studies for their possible applications in food, cosmetics and pharmaceutical industry.

RESULTS: Studies show that KG contains carbohydrates, while protein, fat, volatile oils, alkaloids and glycosides are absent. 1% aqueous solution of polysaccharide showed 25.58 × 103 kJ/kg activation energy and 1.39 Reynold's number. Viscosity average molecular weight of purified gum was found 1.73 × 105 D. Thermodynamic parameters, i.e., change in enthalpy ΔHv and change in enthalpy ΔHv, were found to be 12.26 × 103 kJ/mol and 24.47 kJ/mol, respectively. Mathematical approach also determined the rod shaped conformation of KG in aqueous solution. IR spectroscopic study shows the presence of free (COO-) and esterified (COO-R) carboxylic acid, ether (C-O stretching), galacturonic acid and mannose in polysaccharide 1H NMR study predicts presence of tetrahydropyran hydrogen in molecule. Furthermore, KG was also characterized as a suspending agent using paracetamol as a model drug. Flow rate, pH, particle size and settling behavior of suspensions were evaluated. Initial particle size of dispersed phase particles does not change significantly after 45 days.

CONCLUSIONS: From the findings of the research it can be concluded that KG can be used as an excipient in cosmaceuticals and pharmaceuticals and its characteristic rheological behavior may attract rheologists.