Effect of AGP on Emulsifying Stability of Gum Arabic

Gum arabic (Acacia senegal) is an important natural oil-in-water emulsifier, which is widely used in the food industry. However, emulsification performance of natural gum arabic greatly varies depending on origin, production area, tree age, the weather and changes in arabinogalactan protein (AGP) content during storage. The correlation between AGP components and emulsifying stability has been studied in detail using natural gum arabic. Molecular weight and AGP content were analysed using GPC-MALLS (Gel permeation chromatography – multi-angle laser light scattering) and emulsifying stability was evaluated by measuring the particle size of test emulsions after accelerated storage. AGP content of natural gum arabic varies greatly. Gum arabic with a higher AGP content has a higher emulsifying stability, whereas gum arabic with a lower AGP content has a lower emulsifying stability. It is very important for emulsion users to have access to a supply of high performance natural gum arabic with a higher and consistent AGP content.