The Complete Book on Water Soluble Gums and Resins

Resins, gums and latex are almost ubiquitous in the plant kingdom and many of them continue to play an important role in our daily lives. Numerous plants produce some kind of resin, latex or gum, but only a few are commercially important today, even though their uses and applications are truly manifold. They have been used as adhesives, emulsifiers, thickening agents, they are added to varnishes, paints and ink; they lend their aromas to perfumes and cosmetics and even play a role in pharmacy and medicine. Gums are viscous substances which are secreted by the bark of certain trees. Usually transparent (but sometimes slightly tinted) they contain a mucilage which when dissolved in water makes the latter become viscous. When this mucilage is dissolved in water it can be made to precipitate with alcohol. Resins, on the other hand, are gluey and viscous substances which may be whitish, brownish, or red and are secreted by certain trees when they are incised. Resins contain an essence and are usually not water soluble. Most commonly found types of plant exudates are chemically completely different to gums. Several acacia species are important economically. True gums are complex organic substances mostly obtained from plants, some of which are soluble in water and others of which, although insoluble in water, swell up by absorbing large quantities of it. They are used in adhesives, pharmaceuticals, inks, confections, and other products. Resins are terpene based compounds. Terpenes constitute one of the largest groups of plant chemicals and they can be very complex. They are not water soluble, but can be either oil soluble or spirit soluble, depending on their specific chemical composition. Worldwide interest and activity in gums and resins has grown dramatically in the last few years. Governments, environmentalists, research institutions and other interest groups are among those who have begun to push for stronger support for gums and resins as a way to meet a range of economic, social and environmental goals. Some of the fundamentals of the book are photosynthesis and metabolism of carbohydrates, occurrence, properties and synthesis of the monosaccharides, nitrogen derivatives, carbohydrates in parenteral nutrition, essential carbohydrates, ethers, anhydro sugars and unsaturated derivatives, constitution of nicotinic acid and of nicotinamide, industrial methods of preparing nicotinic acid and nicotinamide, general physiology, metabolism and mechanism of the vitamin action etc. This book gives a complete insight of water soluble gums and resins that are used in day to day life in various Industries. It is an invaluable resource to all its readers, students, scientist, new entrepreneurs, existing industries and others.