Tragacanth

Products

Tragacanth is used in medicinal products as an excipient.

Structure and properties

Tragacanth is the air-hardened, gummy exudate that flows naturally or after incision from the trunk and branches of the shrub and from certain other West Asian species of the genus. Tragacanth is a complex polysaccharide composed of different monosaccharides and associated with ions. A distinction is made between the water-soluble tragacanthin and the water-insoluble and swelling bassorin. Tragacanth exists as white, yellowish, brown or translucent, odorless ribbons, flakes or powder and has a mucilaginous taste.

Effects

Tragacanth has gelling, stabilizing, thickening, emulsifying, suspending and binding properties.

Fields of application

  • Tragacanth is used as an excipient in the manufacture of pharmaceuticals, for example, emulsions, gels and as a binder for tablets.
  • As an additive for processed foods.