ABSTRACT
Gums and mucilages include all the hydrocolloids obtained from plants and are polysaccharides consisting of more than one type of monosaccharide residues. The gums are considered as pathologic products, produced in response to injury by a process known as “gummosis”, whereby the cell walls and their ingredients are dissolved to form a colloid, which serves as a protective layer over the wounded tissue and later occurs as exudates from the various plant parts, especially the trunk. Mucilages, on the other hand, are classified as natural plant products produced by the plant for the imbibition and retention of water. But from a chemical point of view, gums and mucilages are almost identical and it is nearly impossible to draw a line demarcating one from the other.
