Evaluation of antimicrobial activity of cashew tree gum

Crude and purified cashew tree gum were tested for their antimicrobial activity against bacteria, yeast and fungi. Their use was also evaluated as a carbon source for microbial growth. Cashew gum presented only a weak activity against Saccharomyces cerevisiae and no activity was observed against all other microorganisms tested. The possibility that removal of anacardic acid present in the raw gum during purification may explain the negative results obtained was discussed. When purified cashew tree gum was used as carbon source, only Listeria monocytogenes, Saccharomyces cerevisiae and Kluyveromyces marxianus did not grow after 5 days of incubation.[PUBLICATION ABSTRACT]