This document provides information on various carbohydrate drugs including acacia, tragacanth, agar, starch, guar gum, pectin, isabgol, and honey. It describes the biological sources, geographical sources, methods of preparation, chemical constituents, and uses for each drug.

1. CARBOHYDRATES

2. LIST OF DRUGS
• ACACIA
• TRAGACANTH
• AGAR
• STARCH
• GUAR GUM
• PECTIN
• ISABGOL
• HONEY

3. ACACIA
• Synonym: Gum acacia, Gum arabic, Indian Gum
• Biological Source: It is the dried gummy exudation obtained from the stem
and branches of Acacia arabica, belonging to the family Leguminosae.
• Geographical Source: Sudan, India, Morocco and Africa. 85% of the world
supply is form sudan.
• Cultivation and collection: Gum is cultivated from wild grown plants,
made free of bark and foreign organic matter, dried under the sun, and
bleached partially.
• Description: Colour: Tears are cream-brown to red in colour, while powder
is light brown in colour
• Odour: odourless
• Taste: Bland and mucilaginous
• Size and Shape: Irregular brown tears of varying size

4. • Solubility: It is insoluble in alcohol, soluble in water
• Chemical constituents:
• Arabin- It is a mixture of ca, Mg, K salts of arabic acid
• Arabic acid on hydrolysis gives L-arabinose, L-rhamnose, D-galactose
• It also contains enzymes like oxidase and peroxidase.
• Uses: Demulcent
• Suspending agent
• Emulsifying agent
• Binding agent
• In the preparation of microencapsulations

5. TRAGACANTH
• SYNONYMS: Gum tragacanth, Tragacantha
• BIOLOGICAL SOURCE: It is dried gummy exudation obtained by incision
from stems and branches of Astragulus gummifer belongs to the family
Leguminosae
• GEOGRAPHICAL SOURCE: Indigenous to Iran, Iraq, Greece, Turkey, Syria. In
india, punjab is the area where a few species of tragacanth are found.
• CULTIVATION AND COLLECTION:
• These are grown at an altitude of 1000-3000m
• Gum is formed as a result transformation of pith and medullary rays into
gummy substance
• Incisions are made on the stems and branches, and fluid which oozes out
is collected.
• It is found in ribbon like appearance

6. • CHEMICAL CONSTITUENTS:
• It consists of Tragacanthin (8-10%), Water soluble
• Bassorin (60-70%), water insoluble
• On hydrolysis it gives galactouronic acid, D- galactopyranose, L-arabinose-
rhamnose and D-xylopyranose
• USES:
• Demulcent
• Emmolient
• Thickening agent
• Suspending agent
• Emulsifying agnet
• Adhesive

7. AGAR
• SYNONYM: Japanese isinglass, Vegetable gelatin
• BIOLOGICAL SOURCE: It is a dried gelatinous substance obtained from
Gelidium amansii belonging to the family Gelidaceae.
• GEOGRAPHICAL SOURCE: It is produced from japan, Australia,
Newzealand, India. (Costal regions of Bay of bengal)
• COLLECTION AND PREPARATION:
• Algaes are grown on bamboos in the ocean
• These are scrapped dried and shaken to remove foreign materials like
sand and shells
• Washed and exposed to sun. boiled for 5-6 hours
• Filtered and transferred to wooden troughs. On cooling jelly is formed
• Converted into different shapes

8. • CHEMICAL CONSTITUENTS:
• Polysaccharides like agarose and agaropectin
• Agarose is composed of D-galactose, 3,6 anhydrous L-galactose
• 3.5% of cellulose
• 6% of nitrogen containing substances
• Agarose is responsible for the gel strength
• Agaropectin is responsible for the viscosity of agar solutions
• USES:
• It is used as culture media
• Emulsifying agent
• Bulk laxative
• In the preparation of jellies

9. STARCH
• SYNONYM: Amulym
• BIOLOGICAL SOURCE: Starch consists of polysaccaride granules obtained
from the grains of maize (zae mays), rice (Oryza sativa), wheat (Triticum
aestivum) belonging to the family Graminae. Or from potato belonging to
the family Solanaceae.
• RICE STARCH: Polyhydral to ovoid
• WHEAT STARCH: Circular or oval with a hilum
• MAIZE STARCH: Polyhedral or rounded with cavity in the center
• POTATO STARCH: Irregular ovoid in shape with concentric striations

10. • CHEMICAL CONSTITUENTS:
• Polysaccharides like amylose and amylopectin
• Amylose is also called as β-amylose
• Amylopectin is also called as α-amylose
• Amylose is water soluble
• Amylopectin is water insoluble
• Amylose gives blue colour with iodine
• Amylopectin yields bluish black colouration
• USES:
• Used as nutritive
• Demulcent
• Binding agent
• Disintegrant
• Soluble starch was prepared by treating with dil.HCl

11. PECTIN
• SYNONYM: Pectin
• BIOLOGICAL SOURE: Pectin is purified carbohydrate product obtained by
acid hydrolysis from inner portion of the rind of citrus peel of Citrus
aurantium belongs to the family Rutaceae
• PREPARATION: Fresh lemon peels are heated for 30 min with water at
90oC .
• pH should be adjusted to 3.5-4.0 with citric acid or lactic acid
• Peels are pressed and the solution is treated with isopropanol
• Pectin is precipitated out
• CHEMICAL CONSTITUENTS:
• Pectin yields D-galacto uronic acid, galactose, arabinose
• USES:
• Adsorbent in the treatment of diarrhoea
• Emulsifying agent, gelling agent, encapsulating agent to promote
sustained release

12. ISAPGOL (ISAP=HORSE, GHOL=EAR)
• SYNONYMS: Ispaghula, Indian Psyllium, Isabgol
• BIOLOGICAL SOURCE: It consists of dried seeds and husk of the plant
known as Plantago ovata belongs to the family Plantaginaceae
• GEOGRAPHICAL SOURCE: The plant is cultivated largely in Gujarat, Punjab,
Rajasthan. Factory is present in Gujarat.
• CULTIVATION AND COLLECTION:
• It needs loamy soil
• 7.5-8.5 pH is needed
• Cultivated in the month of november
• Harvested in the month of March/April
• India is producing 48000 tonnes of seeds annually

13. • CHEMICAL CONSTITUENTS:
• Pentosan, Aldobionic acid
• On hydrolysis it yields xylose, arabinose, galacoutonic acid and rhamnose
• USES:
• Laxative
• Emollient
• Demulcent

14. HONEY
• SYNONYMS: Madhu, Mel
• BIOLOGICAL SOURCE: Honey is sugar secretion deposited in honey comb
by the bee Apis mellifera and other species of Apis belongs to the family
Apidae.
• GEOGRAPHICAL SOURCE: Honey is produced in Africa, Australia, New
Zealand, California and India
• PREPARATION: Nectar of flowers contain 25% Sucrose and 75% water. The
worker bee sucks this nectar, enzyme invertase present in the saliva of the
bee converts nectar into invert sugar.
• It is partially utilized by the bee and the remaining deposited in honey
comb. It is heated to 800C to avoid fermentation

15. • STANDARDS: Weight per ml - 1.35g
• Specefic rotation - +30 to -100
• Total ash – 0.1 – 0.8%
• CHEMICAL CONSTITUENTS:
• Glucose (35%)
• Fructose (45%)
• Sucrose (2%)
• Maltose
• Invertase
• Crystallised dextrose is called Granulated Honey
• Resorcinol + Hcl + Honey gives Instant red colour
• USES:
• Sweetening agent
• Antiseptic, can be applied on burns and wounds
• Vehicle for several preparations

16. GUAR GUM
• SYNONYMS: Guar flour, Jaguar gum
• BIOLOGICAL SOURCE: It is the powder of the endosperm of seeds of
Cymopsis tetragonolobus belongs to the family Leguminosae.
• GEOGRAPHICAL SOURCE: Inida, Pakisthan, USA
• PREPARATION:
• The endosperms are separated from the seeds by pulveriser
• And the cotyledons are also sapareted
• The crude guar gum was separated with the help of sieves
• CHEMICAL CONSTITUENTS:
• Guaran (85%) – water soluble part
• Guaran on hydrolysis yields galactose, mannose

17. • USES:
• Binding agent
• Disintegrating agent
• Emulsifying agent
• Bulk laxative
• In the treatment of peptic ulcer therapy