ABSTRACT
An exudate gum from the tree Moringa oleifera was also efficient as a suspending agent in zinc oxide suspensions. e properties and performance of M. oleifera gum have been reported to be similar to those of gum tragacanth (Panda et al., 2006). e efficacy of shilajit, a gummy exudate of the plant Styrax officinalis L. (Family: Styracaceae), was evaluated as a suspending agent for the formulation of antacid preparations. Shilajit produced effects on sedimentation volume similar to those produced by sodium carboxymethylcellulose (CMC), but at lower concentrations. It induced better flocculation with a moderate increase in viscosity compared to CMC. It did not interfere with the acid-consuming capacity of the suspensions (Shahjahan and Islam, 1998). e viscosity of gum ghatti (whole gum) has been previously reported (Jefferies et al., I977) to increase with increasing proportion of dispersible gel, a rheological behavior that was also exhibited by the studied Albizia exudate. us, both gum ghatti and albizia gum solutions display higher viscosities and are expected to be better emulsifying and suspending agents than gum arabic (Mhinzi, 2002).
