Features That Have Made Cassia Powder and Guar Korma Popular Animal Feed

The guar gum or the guaran is the endosperm polysaccharide of the seed from the guar plant calledCyamopsisTetragonolobus. It is in the family of the leguminosae and the plant naturally grows in India and Pakistan. The production of this plant has currently spread to the rest of the world including the United States. The guaran is a galactomanans, and is a relatively large polymer with a high molecular weight and it rapidly hydrates in cold water to give a highly viscous and thixotropic solution. With these properties, the gum produced from this plant has many industrial uses. Guar Korma and Cassia Powder as Popular Feed This is the product that remains after the gum extraction is complete. This product is then used as a concentrated protein source in animal diets. The guar meal is the combined germ fraction of and hull fraction that is left after the gum powder has been processed from the seed. Research has shown that the seed contains between 35 – 50% of crude proteins. The mixture of germs and hulls after the guar gum has been extracted is at a ratio of 25% germs to 75% hulls. Nutrient Composition The meal has been found to be protein rich, with the level going up to about 40% – 45% DM for the regular meal and 50 – 55% DM for the guar korma meal. It has also been found to have lysine and sulphur amino acids, and these contents levels are similar to those present in ground nut meals but lesser than those in soybean meals. This level varies depending on the level of extraction and relative concentration of the germ and hulls that have been recombined. Palatability The high level of gum content in the feed has the potential of increasing the viscosity of the meal in the intestines and reduces the rate of digestion of the meal. This means that feed must be well managed. The raw guar meal can make up to 25% of cattle rations, while the processed meal can be used as the sole protein component in the cattle diet. Fish In the production of fish such as carp species, research has shown that the meal can replace up to 50% of the fish meal proteins and is therefore a valuable feed ingredient. Cassia tora and cassia gum powder The cassia is also among the most popular pet foods additive in industry. Some of the key characteristics for its popularity in feed are similar to the guar meal and they include;

• The product has no toxicity to animals
• It’s a good thickening and gelling agent for canned pet foods
• Good binding properties with other nutrients
• Easily used in combination with other gelling agents.