Tara gum

Tara gum is a galactomannan that is obtained from the seeds of the tara shrub Caesalpinia spinosa which is a native of the northern regions of Africa and South America. The gum is described as having a backbone of (1-4)-linked β-D-mannopyranosyl units one third of which possess a single unit side chain of (1-6)-linked α-D-galactopyranose. The gum forms gels with carrageenan and xanthan in a similar manner to guar and locust bean gum. Currently only small quantities of tara gum are sold for use as food thickeners and stabilisers.