Cyamopsis tetragonoloba gum, also known as guar gum, is a natural thickener and stabiliser that can be used in toothpaste tablets. It is derived from the seeds of the guar plant.

Guar (Cyamopsis tetragonoloba) is a domesticated legume crop, with most of of the world's production in India. Cultivated plants grow to around one metre tall, with hairy stems and leaves. The leaves, seed pods and seeds are all known to be edible, and are often cooked in curries. Harvested seeds or 'guar beans' are dehusked, roasted, hydrated and ground to produce guar gum.

Guar gum is composed of sugars that make it a cold-soluble thickening agent. It is used to thicken many foods and personal care products, and is a more efficient alternative to locust bean gum, which requires greater amounts to achieve the same level of viscosity.

In toothpaste tablets, guar gum helps to create a smooth texture and improve the stability of the toothpaste. It also acts as a binding agent, helping to hold the tablet together and prevent it from crumbling or breaking.

Main constituents: D-Galactose, D-Mannose

REFERENCES

Vranić, E., Lacević, A., Mehmedagić, A., & Uzunović, A. (2004). Formulation ingredients for toothpastes and mouthwashes. Bosnian journal of basic medical sciences, 4(4), 51–58. https://doi.org/10.17305/bjbms.2004.3362

Dehghani Soltani, M., Meftahizadeh, H., Barani, M., Rahdar, A., Hosseinikhah, S. M., Hatami, M., & Ghorbanpour, M. (2021). Guar (Cyamopsis tetragonoloba L.) plant gum: From biological applications to advanced nanomedicine. International journal of biological macromolecules, 193(Pt B), 1972–1985. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijbiomac.2021.11.028