A REVIEW ON GUAR (CYAMOPSIS TETRAGONOLOBA L.): A CASH CROP

Abstract

Guar is an essential legume domesticated mainly on marginal and sub marginal areas of arid and semi-arid regions. Generally, Pakistan yields around 15% of worldwidetotal guar production. Its area under cultivation is more than 0.181 million hectares in Pakistan. Regarding to its demand in the foreign market, it is cultivated in Punjab, Bahawalpur, Mianwali, Bahawalnagar, Layyah, Sargodha, Muzaffargarh, Multan and Sindh province of Pakistan. Additional, its domestication is also being under consideration to take up it for irrigated conditions during summer. Guar grain (endosperm) is a basis of a ‘guar gum’. It has various commercial applications mainly; oil industries, textile, well drilling, printing, cosmetics, mining, paper, petroleum, pharmaceutical and natural gas. In Pakistan, its green pods are routinely consumed locally as vegetable and are enriched in nutrients. Furthermore, guar has been described to have beneficial effects when cultivated as an intercrop. Guar meal (high content of protein) extracted from seed coat and germ cell is an excellent feed for monogastric animals. For exports, guar accessions with high content of gum (> 32%) and viscosity (4000-5000 cps) are more preferred. The statistical value of guar exports from Pakistan has increased from 229.97 crores (2008) to 312.75 crores (2017). This review emphasis mainly on the pharmacological actions of plant, traditional uses, pharmacognostical characteristics and phytochemistry. This review will highlight the various features of guar in pharmacological activities andas valuable source for food and pharmaceutical products and its emergence as asignificantcash crop.