Acacia in Herbalist: Properties of acacia

Scientific name

Acacia Senegal Wild.

Family

Leguminosae

Origin

It is a plant typical of Senegal, just as the botanical name recalls.

Synonyms

Arabic gum

Used Parts

The plant is used rubber (also called "gum arabic"). This gum is a dry and rubbery exudate obtained from the trunk and branches of Acacia Senegal and other species of Acacia.

Chemical constituents

Complex mixture of salts of arabic acid, a complex polysaccharide consisting of a galactose skeleton with branched chains including arabinose, ramnose and glucuronic acid.
Glycoproteins.

Acacia in Herbalist: Properties of acacia

The use of rubber obtained from acacia is typically pharmaceutical, as it is used for the production of emulsions and tablets.

Biological activity

In truth, the acacia and the gum obtained from it are not equipped with a real therapeutic activity, in fact, their use has not been approved for any type of medical application. However, the gum arabic obtained from the plant is widely used in the pharmaceutical, cosmetic and food industries due to its particular characteristics.

In fact, gum arabic is soluble in water, both cold and hot, and is able to form mucilages. For this reason, it is used in the industrial field as a gelling agent, emulsifying stabilizer and dispersing agent.

Furthermore, the rubber is also endowed with important organoleptic characteristics, in fact, it is odorless and tasteless, besides being free of toxicity.

However, thanks to its peculiarities - although there are no real approved therapeutic applications - gum arabic is sometimes used as an emollient remedy in case of irritation of the gastrointestinal mucosa.