ABSTRACT

Guar gum is a naturally occurring alternating co-polymer derived from the seeds of Cyamopsis tetragonoloba. Guar has high intrinsic viscosity but very poor interaction coefficient. Guar dispersions lose viscosity upon standing. Guar has been derivatized to hydroxyalkyl, alkali carboxyalkyl and quaternary ammonium guar. Derivatization of guar enhances solution stability, clarity of dispersion and resistance to microbial attack. Derivatives of guar have immense pharmaceutical and cosmetic applications. The present review focuses on the various methodologies available for effecting derivatization of guar and also covers the specific application case studies in pharmaceutical and cosmeceutical fields. The authors opine that guar derivatives such as hydroxypropyl guar, sodium carboxymethyl guar and cationic guar are the prominent ones and shall be accorded an official status.