MUCILAGE: Objective, introduction, composition, mucilage yielding plants, methods to extract mucilage, importance.

                                                MUCILAGE

OBJECTIVE : 

1. Why mucilage is removed..?

2. Where it is reduced..?

3. What are all the advantages or disadvantages of removing   the mucilage from plant extract..?

INTRODUCTION : Secretions produced by the plant tissue from the linkage with some bulky complex molecules and forms viscous fluid which is refereed as mucilage.

 In general mucilage is produced by the parenchytous  tissues. Mucilage is found in different plants in different parts. In root, stem, flower, leaf and also in fruiting bodies we can notice the presence of mucilage.

Composition of mucilage is different in different from one another, but in general mucilage is made up of,

Ø Soluble or insoluble fibers

Ø Polar glycoprotein

Ø Exopolysaccharides

In other words, mucilage are polysaccharide complexes formed from and uronic acid units. Mucilage forms slimy masses in water, are typically heterogeneous in composition.

As mucilage is a complex formed by several chemicals and chemical composition is not properly known, particular chemical structure can not be predicted.

SOME OF THE MUCILAGE YIELDING PLANTS AND IT’S UNIQUE FEATURES

v Lady;s finger

         Botanical name: Abelmoschus esculentus

Belongs to a family called MALVACEAE. Mucilage mainly contains soluble fibers. Here mucilage is present to protect the seeds hence mucilage is restricted to fruiting body.

v Aloe vera

        Botanical name: Aloe vera

Belongs to a family called LILIACEAE. Aloe vera exclusively contain pectic acid and glucomonnans. In addition to these antiseptic agents like lupeol, natural salicylic acid, urea nitrogen, cinnamic acid, phenol and sulphur. Anti inflammatory β-sitosterol is also present in it.

vHibiscus

    Botanical name: Hibiscus rosa-sininsis

Belongs to a family called MALVACEAE. Mucilage restricted to leaves. Leaves, only after came into contact with water mucilage spreads out.

vBasale soppu

    Botanical name: Basella alba

Belongs to a family called BASELLACEAE. Twig along with leaves contains mucilage. Starch is present in huge quantity.

Starch, proteins, fibers are essential for our body in small quantity. For better digestion and excretion process mucilage plays a very important role. Thus partial removal of mucilage is better than complete removal.

METHODOLOGY

From hibiscus and aloe vera, the mucilage extracted by CENTRIFUGATION process. Extracted mucilage is exclusively used in cosmetic industries.

                  Acid hydrolysis, steam treatment, boiling, treating with alkali are some methods to extract the mucilage from plants.

                By viscosity method, by varying PH level also mucilage can be separated.

                By the carbohydrate test, protein test etc. by using several chemical reagents, on basis of rate reaction the perfect composition of the mucilage of desirable plant can be determined.

CONCLUSION

According to AYURVEDA, people with IBS (Irritable Bowel Syndrome) should avoid mucilage vegetables. This is because, the victim fails to digest the over starch in those vegetables.

              Souring agents are used in kitchen is to remove the mucilage and to make it palatable.

Except in few cases, removal of mucilage from vegetable is not necessary. For better health partially mucilage can be removed. As the mucilage contains micronutrients we can make better use of it.