Tamarind seed gum

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Tamarind seeds

Description

A polysaccharide derived from the seeds of the tamarind tree, Tamarindus indica, grown in India and southeast Asia but probably native to central Africa. Tamarind seeds contain about 65% Gum, 15-20% Protein, 6% Oil, and 3% ash. The carbohydrate portion contains Arabinose, Galactose, Xylose, galacturonic acid, and glucuronic acid. The gum dissolves in hot water to form a viscous solution that is high in Sugar. Tamarind gum is often used as a substitute for fruit Pectin and as an inexpensive textile sizing agent. It has also been used as a spray consolidant for flaking paint (Agrawal, 1984).

Synonyms and Related Terms

Tamarindus indica; goma de semillas de tamarindo (Esp.); gomma di semi di tamarindo (It); Indian date

Physical and Chemical Properties

Insoluble in cold water. Soluble in hot water.

CAS 39386-78-9

Resources and Citations

  • O.P. Agrawal, Conservation of Manuscripts and Paintings of Southeast Asia, London: Butterworths,1984
  • G.S.Brady, Materials Handbook, McGraw-Hill Book Co., New York, 1971 Comment: p. 381
  • John S. Mills, Raymond White, The Organic Chemistry of Museum Objects, Butterworth Heineman, London, 2nd ed., 1994
  • R. Newman, E. Farrell, 'House Paint Pigments', Paint in America , R. Moss ed., Preservation Press, New York City, 1994
  • Book and Paper Group, Paper Conservation Catalog, AIC, 1984, 1989
  • I.W. Cottrell, J.K. Baird, gums chapter