reagent and combined with it by means of a condensation reaction with the functional groups a stabilizing effect might be realized due to the fact that the composition of karaya gum is not understood it is impossible to accurately predict what reagents will have the desired effect upon the karaya gum except by experimentation some reagents were found to have a significant stabilizing effect upon the karaya gum other reagents were found to have no effect on the karaya gum while others had quite drastic effects causing severe degradation of the gum rendering it unsuitable for its intended purpose karaya gum is prepared by the physical purification grinding and blending of exudate of trees belonging to the genus sterculia usually of the species sterculia urens as described in 34 the encyclopedia of chemical technology 34 2nd ed kirk othmer vol 10 pp 746 48 1966 the purer grade of the gum meeting specifications cited in the national formulary for food and pharmaceutical uses are preferred for use in accordance with this invention the karaya gum is placed in a vessel containing an anhydrous alcohol preferably alcohols having relatively low boiling points are used to enhance the recovery procedure at the end of the treating process alcohols of relatively high boiling points such as the polyhydric alcohols should in most cases be avoided as their boiling points are so high that during the removal of the alcohol the gum may be adversely affected the preferred alcohols are methanol propanol 2 normal propanol ethanol and the butyl alcohols the alcohols must also be of the type in which the karaya gum.