CARBAMOYLETHYLATION OF MOGHAT MUCILAGE

Mucilage isolated from the grinded roots of Glossostemon bruguieri (De sf.) (moghat) was subjected to carbamoylethylation, which involved the reaction of the moghat mucilage with acrylamide along with sodium hyd roxide as a catalyst. The reaction was found to depend on the acrylami de concentration as well as on temperature. While the extent of carbam oylethylation increases by increasing acrylamide concentration from 20 to 100 g/100 g mucilage, it decreases by raising the reaction tempera ture from 25 degrees C to 75 degrees C. The carbamoylethylated moghat mucilage exhibits non-Newtonian pseudoplastic behaviour irrespective o f the extent of carbamoylethylation. On the other hand, increasing the extent of carbamoylethylation is accompanied by an enhancement in the apparent viscosity. This was evidenced by the direct relation of the apparent viscosity with the increase in acrylamide concentration and i ts inverse relation with the temperature. A 72 h storage of the pastes under investigation causes a considerable decrement in apparent visco sity only when the extent of carbamoylethylation is low. Higher extent s of carbamoylethylation stabilised the molecular structure of the mog hat mucilage.