Mentos and coke experiment explanation I very much doubt that the surface activity of gum arabic has anything to do with its ability to nucleate carbon dioxide release from carbonated beverages If this were so dishwashing liquid should do at least as good a job and probably a better one Speaking as a scientist who has worked in this area I believe that it is much more likely that the hydrophobic regions along the gum arabic molecule which are responsible for its ability to stabilize emulsions through providing anchoring points to oil droplets may act as nucleation sites for bubble formation