Abstract

The physico-chemical properties of cashew gum (CG) collected from four cashew growing districts, Sampa, Wenchi, Bole and Jirapa in Ghana were studied to help promote the utilization of cashew gum in the food industry. The gum was collected from trees of two different age groups, those that were 10 years and below and those above 10 years. Physico-chemical properties of CG were compared to those of gum Arabic. Parameters studied included pH (3.8 - 4.2), total ash (0.5 - 1.2%), protein content (1.27 - 1.80%), total sugars (0.96 - 2.10 mg/g), total phenols (0.21 - 2.26%), moisture content (9.8 - 13.2%) and insoluble matter (1.9 - 4.8%). Gum from mature trees was generally found to have higher levels of protein, moisture, sugars and phenols than that from young trees, with the exception of pH which was lower in gum from mature trees. There were also variations in some of the physico-chemical properties of the CG from the different locations. The predominant minerals in cashew tree gum were Ca, K, Na and Fe and their nutritional benefits is discussed. This study showed that CG possesses good physico-chemial properties and high levels of minerals

Key words: Cashew gum, physico-chemical, gum Arabic, nutritional benefits.