Emerging Natural Hydrocolloids

15 Chubak (Acanthophyllum glandulosum) Root Gum

Hojjat Karazhiyan

Department of Food Science & Technology, Torbat‐e Heydarieh Branch, Islamic Azad University, Torbat‐e Heydarieh, Iran

15.1 Introduction

Chubak is a plant belonging to the family Caryophyllaceae and the genus Acanthophyllum (Figure 15.1a). Chubak has wooden pillow‐shaped shrubs with biting spurs (their leaves deform to spurs). Some shrubs and some with thick root and mostly grown in Iran are Acanthophyllum, and a number of others, which are annual and perennial but herbaceous, are of the Saponaria genus, which is mostly grown in Europe, but a few are also seen in Iran. A total of 61 species of this genus are found worldwide, and of these, 33 species are capable of growing in Iran, and 23 species are native to this region [1]. On the basis of available sources, most of these species have been identified in the eastern parts of Iran (Khorasan Province) and its adjacent regions (Afghanistan and Turkmenistan) [2]. The root of Chubak (Figure 15.1b) is a valuable source of saponin, which is one of the most important active compounds in it, and many previous works have focused on identifying its structure, physicochemical properties, and biological activity [3–6]. In addition to saponin, polysaccharides and water‐soluble gum (hydrocolloids) are also other important compounds whose presence in the roots of the various species of the plant has been reported [7,8]. The lower parts of the plant are completely ...