A review on natural polymer locust bean gum

Locust bean pods were utilized as cattle feed for a very long time but now its seed endosperm powder is utilized as locust bean gum in various industries such as food, cosmetic, pharmaceutical, textile, paint, mining, oil drilling and construction industries for its thickening and stabilizing properties. In pharmaceutical industries, locust bean gum is used in the production of solid monolithic matrix systems, films, beads, micro-particles, nano-particles, inhalable and injectable systems, as well as in viscous liquid and gel formulations. Locust bean gum is used as an additive in food industry due to its thickening and stabilizing property. Its application for bakery purposes results in higher baked product yields; it improves the final texture and adds viscosity in dough. Addition of guar gum in cookies dough improves the machinability of the dough which helps in the better handling of dough with minimum requirement of energy and time.