Abstract:
Physicochemical properties of Acacia seyal var. seyal gum were studied
for two samples, sample A, clear nodules, pale yellow color and sample
B, deep orange mass. The samples were collected from the same tree
from Al Gadarif state. The methods include: pH, moisture content, ash
content, specific optical rotation, nitrogen and protein content, sugar
composition, intrinsic viscosity, equivalent weight, total uronic acid
percentage, and cationic composition for the two samples A and B.
Standard characterization methods were used to obtain the values of
moisture content, ash content, pH, and specific optical rotation. The
cationic composition study using inductively coupled plasma (ICP)
technique, while the sugar composition study using high performance
liquid chromatography (HPLC) technique.
The results show that: pH of sample A is 4.97 and for sample B is 4.88,
ash content is 2.65% for sample A and 3.11% for sample B, the moisture
content is 8.33% for sample A and 3.5% for sample B, the specific
optical rotation is +57.0 deg g-1 cm2 for sample A and +83.3 deg g-1 cm2
for sample B, acid equivalent weight is 1538 for sample A and 1229 for
sample B, the total uronic acid percentage is 12.6% for sample A and
15.8% for sample B, the intrinsic viscosity is 9.2 ml g-1 for sample A and
15.7 ml g-1 for sample B , the sugar composition was found to be as
follows, rhamnose is 1.23% for A and 0.56% for B, arabanose is 37.46%
for A and 43.81% for B, galactose is 20.47% for A and 23.34% for B, the
results of nitrogen content is 0.151% for A and 0.159% for B, the
protein content is 0.997% for A and 1.050% for B, the cationic
composition of Acacia seyal var. seyal samples was determined and the
result for sample A show that calcium is the most abundant (7076 ppm)
followed by potassium (4776 ppm), magnesium (1603 ppm), sodium
(41.23 ppm), lead , iron , zinc, and chromium are traces, while the
cationic composition result for sample B is calcium (7977 ppm),
potassium (3713 ppm), magnesium (792.6 ppm), sodium (35.68 ppm),
lead , iron , zinc, and chromium are traces.
