In India, cluster bean (Guar) is traditionally used as a vegetable or animal feed, but it has got other uses too. Which one of the following statements is correct in this context?
The oil extracted from seeds is used in the manufacture of biodegradable plastics
Incorrect AnswerGuar gum is used as a thickener in salad dressing, sauces and ketchup.
Correct AnswerThe leaf extract of this plant has the properties of anti-histamines
Incorrect AnswerIt is a source of high quality biodiesel
Incorrect AnswerExplanation:
The leaves and beans of the guar plant have traditionally been used as an animal feed and as a vegetable for human consumption. Farmers take advantage of the nitrogen fixing abilities of the guar plant by using it as a green manure crop. Guar gum is used in baking as a dough thickener. It is used to thicken dairy products such as milk, yogurt, cheese, ice cream and sherbet. In processed foods guar gum is used as a thickener in salad dressing, sauces, ketchup, soup and many other products. Guar gum has medicinal uses which include: water-soluble fiber, bulk-forming laxative and creating a feeling of satiety. Industrially it is used in mining, petroleum drilling and textile manufacturing. After 2010, it got new market due to the multibillion shale and oil gas drilling business in U.S, which has found the gel or hydrocolloid produced from cluster beans to be an excellent lubricant for the ‘fracking’ process. Fracking is used to extract gas trapped some 6,000 to 10,000 feet beneath the surface making hard shale rock more
By: Kritika Kaushal ProfileResourcesReport error