Acacia Gum - Benefits & Side Effects

Scientific Name(S): Acacia senegal (L.) Willd. (syn. with A. verek Guill et Perr.). Other species of Acacia have been used in commerce. Family: Leguminosae or Fabaceae

Common Name(S): Acacia gum, acacia vera, Egyptian thorn, gummi africanum, gum Senegal, gummae mimosae, kher, Sudan gum arabic, Somali gum, yellow thorn

Uses of Acacia Gum

Acacia gum has been used in food as a stabilizer and in pharmaceuticals as a demulcent. It is used topically for healing wounds and has been shown to inhibit the growth of periodontic bacteria and the early deposition of plaque and it is also very soothing to skin

Botany: The acacia tree (A. senegal) is a thorny, scraggly tree that grows to heights of about 15 feet. It grows most prolifically in regions of Africa, in particular in the Republic of Sudan. During times of drought, the bark of the tree splits, exuding a sap that dries in small droplets or "tears. In the past, these hardened sap tears served as the major source of acacia gum, but today commercial acacia gum is derived by tapping trees periodically and collecting the resin semi-mechanically. At least three grades of acacia gum are available commercially and their quality is distinguished by the color and character in the collected tears. There is considerable variation in gum quality depending on whether it is obtained by natural flow secondary to extreme drought, obtained by tapping or induced by the boring of beetles at sites of branch injury. Gums derived from Combretum are readily available at low prices in East and West Africa and are often offered for sale as "gum arabic." Because there is no toxicologic data supporting the safety of these gums, they are not recognized as food additives by most countries. Similarly, trees of the genus Albizia are often confused with Acacia and should not be used as acacia substitutes.

History: Acacia gum has long been used in traditional medicine and in everyday applications. The Egyptians used the material as a glue and as a painreliever base. Arabic physicians treated a wide variety of ailments with the gum, resulting in its current name. Today, it is used widely in the pharmaceutical industry as a demulcent and in the cooking industry to give body and texture to processed food products. It also is used to stabilize emulsions. The fibers of the bark are used to make cordage.

Side Effects of Acacia Gum

Ingestion may raise serum cholesterol. Intravenous administration causes renal and liver damage. Various forms of acacia gum can cause allergic reactions, including respiratory problems and skin lesions.

Toxicology: Acacia is essentially nontoxic when ingested. Allergic reactions to the gum and powdered forms of acacia have been reported and include respiratory problems and skin lesions.

Acacia contains a peroxidase enzyme, which is typically destroyed by brief exposure to heat. If not inactivated, this enzyme forms colored complexes with certain amines and phenols and enhances the destruction of many pharmaceutical products including alkaloids and readily oxidizable compounds such as some vitamins. Acacia gum reduces the antibacterial effectiveness of the preservative methyl-p-hydroxybenzoate against Pseudomonas aeruginosa, presumably by offering physical barrier protection to the microbial cells from the action of the preservative. A trypsin inhibitor also has been identified, but the clinical significance of the presence of this enzyme is not known.

Summary: Gum acacia has been used in commerce for millennia. Because of its soothing properties, it is included in cough and cold remedies and it is used topically in wound healing preparations. It is used as a stabilizer for foods. Although generally considered safe for internal use, some persons have developed severe allergic reactions following exposure to the gum.