NEW TRENDS FOR USING GUM ARABIC IN SOME FOOD PROCESSING AND THERAPEUTIC APPLICATIONS

Food gap expresses an increase in consumption over the rate of production,

which may lead the concerned country to import food from abroad. On the other hand,

coinciding with the nutritional gap is the exacerbation of chemically synthesized

therapies or drugs. Therefore, the present study was carried out in a trial to open up new

horizons for the use of gum arabic (GA) in some food processing and therapeutic

applications. For food processing application, mixing of wheat flour with Arabic gum at level

4% improved the properties of the dough (farinograph and extensograph parameters),

which will reflect positively on the properties of the resulting bread. For therapeutic

applications, intervention with GA at levels 2 to 4% are able to prevent or inhibit liver

injuries induced by ubiquitous chemical toxin i.e. B(a)P. GA exhibit liver injuries

inhibiting effects probably by improving the liver functions, modulating regulators of

drug metabolizing enzymes (cytochrome P450) and glutathione fractions (Reduced, GSH,

and oxidized, GSSG, glutathione) as well as inhibiting the lipid peroxidation parameter

(malonaldehyde content, MDA) in liver cells. In conclusion, data of the present study

recommended that GA by a concentration up to 4% (w/w) to be included in our daily

dishes, beverages and pharmaceutical formulae.