Pharmacological Importance of Peach Gum Polysaccharide: A Review

Background: Peach gum is a natural gum exudate secreted from a peach tree (Prunus persica) by a process known as physiological gummosis. Peach gum is a natural biopolymer that is composed of acidic polysaccharides with a high percentage of arabinose and galactose subunit, which classifies it as an arabinogalactan. Objective: This review summarizes the composition, chemical structures, physical properties and biological properties of peach gum, and its potential biotechnological applications. Methods: A literature search was performed using Google Scholar with keywords as Peach Gum and Prunus persica. Only articles written in English and articles with downloadable full-texts were included in this review. Results: Peach gum polysaccharides possess antibacterial, antioxidant and anti-diabetic, and hypolipidemic properties. Excellent emulsification properties of PGP show that it has the potential to be employed as a food-grade emulsifier. Conclusion: PGP exhibits excellent emulsification, antioxidant, antibacterial, anti-diabetic and hypolipidemic properties. As plastic pollution has become an alarming global issue, PGP could be a promising edible raw material in the field of bioplastic research and development.