Proposed technology is methodology for purification of guar gum and its subsequent radiation processing for manufacturing hydrolyzed guar gum with desired Mw (approximately 5000 - 10000 Da) to be used as soluble type of dietary fiber.

SALIENT FEATURES OF THE TECHNOLOGY

• Radiation processing provides a cheap and easy alternative for preparing partially hydrolyzed guar gum for dietary fiber applications.
• Radiation dose can be chosen to obtain desired molecular weight of guar gum.
• Radiation depolymerized guar gum has similar viscoelastic properties as commercial enzyme hydrolyzed product.
• Radiation depolymerized guar gum has distinctly better physiological properties as compared to enzymatically hydrolyzed guar gum.

APPLICATIONS

• Can be directly used as soluble type of dietary fiber for clinical applications.
• Can be added into various food products as dietary fiber such as juices, soups, biscuits etc.
• Can be added to various nutraceutical formulations to improve nutritional quality of food.

Dietary fibers are considered as an important nutritive component of human health. Guar gum is one of the most promising soluble type of dietary fiber is a polygalactomannan derived from seeds of legume plant, Cyamopsis tetragonalobus. It is widely used as thickener in food products. Molecular weight of guar gum  ranges from 2000 to 3000 kDa and it provides extremely high viscosities in aqueous solutions even at low concentrations. Guar gum needs to be depolymerized to be used as dietary fiber. It is subject to controlled partial enzymatic hydrolysis for depolymerization and lowering of viscosity. Use of gamma radiation offers an alternate method for guar gum depolymerisation.  Present technology details process for purification and subsequent radiation processing of guar gum to obtain partially hydrolyzed guar gum for use as soluble type of dietary fiber.

ADVANTAGES

• Have comparable viscoelastic properties with commercially available enzyme hydrolyzed product
• Have distinctly better physiological properties such as glucose and bile acid dialysis retardation index as compared to commercially available enzyme hydrolyzed product
• Partially hydrolyzed guar gum (PHGG) can be directly used as soluble type of dietary fiber
• PHGG can be added into various food products such as juices, biscuits or nutraceutical formulations
• Cost of the process is cheaper as compared to commercial enzymatic process

APPLICATIONS

• Can be directly used as soluble type of dietary fiber for clinical applications
• Can be added into various food products as dietary fiber such as juices, soups, biscuits etc.
• Can be added to various nutraceutical formulations

REQUIREMENTS

Raw Materials requirement

• Guar gum    -   is available in the local market.

Equipments requirement

• Overhead stirrer with motor
• Food irradiator (commercial food irradiation facilities available)
• Freeze drier

Space and Manpower requirement

• Factory shade of 600 sq. ft. area (30 ft. x 20 ft) with DM water facilities.
• Minimum two laboratory technician are required for production of one ton of PHGG. Actual manpower would depend on production capacity.

Note: Some facilities for commercial food irradiation are listed below--

• Board of Radiation & Isotope Technology, Sector 20, BRIT/BARC Vashi Complex, Navi Mumbai - 400705, India. Ph: 022 27840000
• Krushak Irradiator,  Kotamgaon Road, Lasalgaon Post, Dist, Nasik - 422 360, India. Ph: (91) 255 266 276
• AV Processors Pvt Ltd, E-52 Additional Ambermath MIDC Anand Nagar 421 506, India. Ph: (91) 251 2620 139, Fax (91) 251 262 0244