During the last decades, seeking for new sources of hydrocolloids and their characterisation have been the subject of invaluable research due to the need for novel and/or improved functionalities. One of the most promising sources of novel hydrocolloids are mucilaginous seeds. Balangu (Lallemantia royleana) seeds are recently investigated for their potential as a novel source of hydrocolloid for the sake of superior thickening, stabilising, and fat replacer characteristics. Furthermore, the chemical and structural properties of Balangu seed gum (BSG) have been studied which revealed the presence of arabinose, galactose, and rhamnose as the major monosaccharides with strong shear-thinning properties and high intrinsic viscosity comparable to commercial hydrocolloids. This chapter aims to review structural, physicochemical, functional and rheological properties of the gum extracted from Balangu seeds. Additionally, the research trend and prospects of the BSG are proposed by specifically considering the potential applications in food science.
