Karaya Gum
A brief description
Geographical and botanic origin
Karaya Gum is the gum of the tropical tree genus Sterculia. Customary Karaya gum is harvested from the tree species Sterculia urens. These trees are endemic to the provinces of central India. Karaya gum is also known as Indian Tragacanth and as Sterculia Gum.
Harvest and Processing
Karaya Gum is harvested trough tapping of the Sterculia trees. The gum then exudes from the cuts and is collected by local farmers.
Further processing steps include cleaning, sorting and milling of the gum.
Sensory and phytochemical composition
The raw material Karaya Gum consists of small, translucent, withe to greyish resin lumps. It has a lightly acidulous smell. Karaya Gum is a natural polysaccharide, composed of Carbohydrates and galacturonic acid.
Traditional and industrial applications
Karaya gum finds application in the traditional Indian medicine. It is often used as a substitute for the much more expensive Thragacanth gum. Karaya Gum is approved in the European Union as food additive E416.
Karaya Gum is used in the industrial production of foods and drugs. It finds application for its high swelling properties and as a gelling and thickening agent.
Willy Benecke and Karaya Gum
Willy Benecke has a long standing history as supplier of the raw material Karaya Gum. We purchase our gum from different suppliers, to ensure that the demands of our customers are met, to ensure highest quality at all times and to guarantee short delivery times.
We offer Karaya Gum for the following industrial applications:
As gelling and thickening agent in the foodstuff and pharmaceutical industries
As active agent in laxatives and component of adhesive powder in odontology
As component of adhesives and binding agent in the paper industry