2.2 Heteroglycans
In general, Gums represent a heterogenous group of acidic substances, that essentially possess in common the characteristic property of swelling in water to form either gels or viscous, sticky, solutions. It has also been advocated that gums are the resulting products obtained from normal plant metabolism. In addition, it is also believed that gums may have been produced from starch or cellulose through hydrolysis, followed by oxidation to uronic acids and finally undergoing the process of esterfication or formation of salt accordingly.
In actual practice, the natural gums may be classified into four different groups, namely:
(a) Exudate Gums
(b) Seed Gums
(c) Marine Gums, and
(d) Microbial Gums
