The analysis of Acacia gums using electrophoresis

Acacia gum is a ubiquitous water-soluble material that has been analyzed using a variety of techniques. The absence of a high-resolution technique for the separation of the components of the gum has been an impediment to its characterization. Two complementary electrophoretic methods for the separation and detection of the polysaccharides, glycoproteins, and proteins that constitute Acacia gum and other gums have been developed. The first uses sodium dodecyl sulfate polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (SDS-PAGE) with 2-[N-Morpholino] ethanesulfonic acid (MES) buffer and silver staining for the analysis of the proteins in Acacia gum. Over 10 proteinaceous bands were observed in the M.W. range of 2×103–2×105. The second uses agarose electrophoresis with Tris-Borate (TB) buffer and dansyl hydrazine staining for the analysis of the polysaccharides and glycoproteins in Acacia gum. One to two carbohydrate-containing bands were observed in the high M.W. (<5×106) region. The advantages of electrophoresis over gel filtration chromatography for gum analysis are discussed.