Sterculia lychnophora Polysaccharide Powder

Extracted from the seed of Sterculia lychnophora, this polysaccharide powder is the swelling mucilage that makes the dried seed expand into a soft jelly in water. The seed coat gum is purified, dried and milled to a fine light yellow powder that disperses in water to a thick, hazy liquid.

Polysaccharide content is ≥30% by UV-Vis (phenol–sulfuric, as glucose), moisture and total ash are each ≤5.0%, and the powder is milled to 80 mesh. It is supplied for dietary supplements, functional beverages and functional foods, and the percentage is stated with its method.

SKU: BOT-BPS-0069 Category: Botanical Polysaccharides Tags: Gummies & Chews, Polysaccharides, Seed & Grain, Water Dispersible, Water Extracted, Water-Extracted Fractions

Sterculia lychnophora Polysaccharide Identity

Sterculia lychnophora polysaccharide powder is made from the seed of Sterculia lychnophora Hance, known as pangdahai or malva nut, a tree of Southeast Asian forests. Sterculia lychnophora seed is the only part used. Current databases treat the name as a synonym of Scaphium affine, and the two names refer to the same plant.

The dried Sterculia lychnophora seed is wrinkled, brown and light, and it swells to many times its size within minutes of contact with water, forming a loose, sponge-like jelly. The swelling is done by the seed coat, whose cell walls hold a mucilage that can take up large amounts of water. The kernel inside is a different tissue and contributes much less of the swelling.

The mucilage is a pectin-like heteropolysaccharide built from galactose, arabinose, rhamnose and galacturonic acid, together with a calcium-sensitive, partly insoluble fraction often described as bassorin-type. The balance of water-soluble and swelling-only material controls whether the product dissolves or only disperses, which is why it is described as water dispersible.

The name causes confusion with other Sterculia products. Karaya gum comes from the bark exudate of Sterculia urens, a different material with a different use, and it is not part of this powder. Seeds are harvested when the fruit follicles split and are dried carefully so that the seed coat stays intact until extraction.

No other Sterculia lychnophora product is currently listed in the catalog, and this powder is the only form of the seed that Essencefield offers.

Polysaccharide Content & Test Method

The stated figure for this mucilage is polysaccharides ≥30% by UV-Vis, a total-carbohydrate measurement. Hot sulfuric acid hydrolyses the polymer to sugars, phenol turns them into a colored product, and absorbance is compared with glucose, so the result is a glucose equivalent.

Swelling makes Sterculia lychnophora harder than most samples to measure. The mucilage does not dissolve cleanly, so the powder is dispersed with stirring and heat before dilution, and an inadequately swollen sample reads low. Because the mixture is thick, aliquots are taken from a well-mixed dispersion, and the same dilution is used from lot to lot.

Uronic acids also affect the reading. Galacturonic acid gives a weaker color than neutral sugars, so a mucilage rich in it can read lower than its true carbohydrate mass. The figure is therefore a comparison measure for samples made the same way and is not an absolute count of polymer.

Gravimetric weights would include calcium salts and protein, and enzymatic assays are not used for this grade. Compare the value only with other UV-Vis results.

Typical Specifications

Specification Item	Product Information
Latin Name	Sterculia lychnophora
Plant Part	Seed & Grain
Processing	Water Extraction & Purification
Common Name	Malva nut (Pangdahai)
Ingredient Type	Polysaccharide Extract
Polysaccharide Type	Swelling pectic-type mucilage polysaccharide
Content	Polysaccharides ≥30% (UV-Vis, as glucose)
Appearance	Light Yellow powder
Solubility / Dispersibility	Water Dispersible
Quality Parameters
Moisture	≤5.0% (LOD)
Total Ash	≤5.0%
Particle Size	80 mesh
Heavy Metals	Lead ≤2 ppm · Arsenic ≤1 ppm · Cadmium ≤1 ppm · Mercury ≤0.1 ppm
Microbiology	TPC ≤1,000 cfu/g · Yeast & Mold ≤100 cfu/g · E. coli Negative · Salmonella Negative/25 g
Shelf Life	24 months in unopened original packaging, cool and dry storage

Sterculia lychnophora Polysaccharide Swelling Behavior

Sterculia lychnophora polysaccharide is water dispersible and swells strongly. In water, the particles absorb liquid and expand into soft, hazy gel fragments, and at low concentration the liquid is thick and slippery. Viscosity rises quickly with concentration, and a modest inclusion is enough to change how a drink feels.

Hydration speed depends on temperature and particle size. Warm water swells the powder faster, and the fine 80-mesh particles disperse more evenly than coarse ones, but pouring them onto still water forms a gel skin that traps dry powder underneath. Sifting into a vortex, or pre-blending with sugar, avoids that skin.

Calcium and other divalent cations tighten the gel and can reduce clarity further, while acids soften it. Heating helps swelling at first, and prolonged boiling at low pH depolymerizes the pectic chains and thins the liquid. The flavor is bland, with a faint sweet note and a slightly woody trace.

The powder is hygroscopic and cakes in open air. No viscosity or swelling-volume values are stated for this grade.

Dose and temperature set the final feel. Sterculia lychnophora polysaccharide at very low inclusion gives a loose, slippery body, while a few extra tenths of a percent turn the same drink into a soft jelly. Pilot batches with Sterculia lychnophora should therefore step the inclusion in small increments and be judged after swelling has finished.

Application Areas

Thickened Drink Powders

Sterculia lychnophora polysaccharide gives instant drinks a thick, slippery body at low inclusion. Dissolving it in a small volume of warm water first, then diluting, avoids lumps, and the drink should be judged after ten minutes, when swelling has finished. Samples are compared after the drink has stood for ten minutes.

Jelly and Dessert Bases

In jellies and spoonable desserts the swelling gum adds soft, spongy body next to agar or pectin. Calcium level and pH set the texture, so both are fixed before the gum level is chosen, and the finished jelly is judged cold. The finished jelly is judged cold, after a night in the refrigerator.

Capsule Fills

The powder is bulky and absorbs water quickly, so capsule shells and storage need protection from humid air. Because it swells in the gut and in the cup, labels should advise taking capsules with water. Capsule shells are stored with a desiccant to guard the bulky, thirsty powder.

Sachet Blends

Dry sachets blended with sugar or soluble fiber hydrate more evenly than the neat powder. A moisture-barrier laminate prevents the contents from caking, and sachet instructions should call for stirring until the particles are fully swollen. Instructions on the pack tell the user to stir until the particles are swollen.

Textured Fruit Preparations

Fruit preparations for beverages and yogurt toppings can use the powder at low levels for suspension of fruit pieces. Acidic fruit softens the gel, so the preparation is tested at its final pH. Sediment and fruit float are checked after a week in the cold.

Packaging & Commercial Supply

Essencefield supports product evaluation, formulation trials, commercial orders, and ongoing ingredient supply. Packaging, storage, and shipping arrangements are determined by product characteristics, order quantity, stability requirements, and destination-market needs.

Supply Item	General Information
Sample	Available upon request for formulation, testing, and supplier evaluation
Order Quantities	100 g · 1 kg · 5 kg · 25 kg · 100 kg · 500 kg · Bulk
Sample Lead Time	Typically 5–7 days after sample confirmation
Production Lead Time	Typically 15–30 days after order and specification confirmation
Packaging	Suitable protective inner packaging with bags, cartons, drums, or other appropriate outer packaging
Storage	Store in tightly sealed, suitable protective packaging in a cool, dry environment. Protect from moisture, heat, and direct sunlight. Specific storage conditions follow the approved product specification.
Documentation	COA · Product Specification · TDS · SDS · Applicable declarations (as applicable)

Final order quantities, lead times, packaging, documentation, and shipping arrangements are confirmed according to the selected product and commercial requirements.