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Ceratonia

    Synonyms:  Algaroba; carob bean gum; carob flour; ceratonia gum; ceratonia siliqua; ceratonia siliqua gum; Cheshire gum; E410; gomme de caroube; locust bean gum; Meyprofleur; St. John’s bread.

    Description:  Ceratonia occurs as a yellow-green or white colored powder. Although odorless and tasteless in the dry powder form, ceratonia acquires a leguminous taste when boiled in water.

    Chemical Name: Carob gum

    Controlled-release agent; stabilizing agent; suspending agent; tablet
    binder; viscosity-increasing agent.

    • Ceratonia is a naturally occurring material generally used as a substitute for tragacanth or other similar gums.

    • A ceratonia mucilage that is slightly more viscous than tragacanth mucilage may be prepared by boiling 1.0–1.5% of powdered ceratonia with water. As a viscosity-increasing agent, ceratonia is said to be five times as effective as starch and twice as effective as tragacanth.

    • Ceratonia has also been used as a tablet binder and is used in oral controlled-release drug delivery systems approved in Europe and the USA.

    • Ceratonia is widely used as a binder, thickening agent, and stabilizing agent in the cosmetics and food industry. In foods, 0.15–0.75% is used.

    • Therapeutically, ceratonia mucilage is used orally in adults and children to regulate intestinal function

    The viscosity of xanthan gum solutions is increased in the presence of ceratonia. This interaction is used synergistically in controlledrelease drug delivery systems.

    Ceratonia is generally regarded as an essentially noncarcinogenic, nontoxic and nonirritant material. Therapeutically, it has been used in oral formulations for the control of vomiting and diarrhea in adults and children; 20–40 g daily in adults has been used dispersed in liquid. As an excipient, ceratonia is used in oral controlledrelease formulations approved in Europe and the USA.

    Observe normal precautions appropriate to the circumstances and quantity of material handled. When heated to decomposition ceratonia emits acrid smoke and irritating fumes.

    Acacia; ceratonia extract; tragacanth; xanthan gum.