9000-01-5

Basic information

• Product Name: Arabic gum
• Synonyms: acaciadealbatagum;acaciasenegal;acaciasyrup;australiangum;gumdragon;gumovaline;gumsenegal;nci-c50748
• CAS NO: 9000-01-5
• Molecular Weight: 0
• EINECS: 232-519-5
• Mol File: 9000-01-5.mol
• Article Data: 0

Chemical Properties

• Appearance: White to yellow-beige/fine powder
• Density: 1.35
• Storage Temp.: Sealed in dry,Room Temperature
• Solubility: water: soluble
• Water Solubility: Water soluble. Aqueous solution is acidic to litmus.
• Stability: Stable. Incompatible with alcohols, oxidizing agents.
• Merck: 14,14
• CAS DataBase Reference: Arabic gum(CAS DataBase Reference)
• NIST Chemistry Reference: Arabic gum(9000-01-5)
• EPA Substance Registry System: Arabic gum(9000-01-5)

Safety Data

• Hazard Codes: Xi
• Statements: 36-36/37/38
• Safety Statements: 26-36/37/39-27
• WGK Germany: 2
• RTECS: CE5945000
• TSCA: Yes
• Hazardous Substances Data: 9000-01-5(Hazardous Substances Data)

Usage

Uses

Used in Food Industry:
Arabic gum is used as a stabilizer, thickening agent, and emulsifier in various food products such as soft drink syrup, gummy candies, and marshmallows. It helps prevent sugar crystallization, acts as an emulsifier to prevent fat from forming an oxidizable, greasy film, and functions as a flavor fixative in spray-drying to form a thin film around the flavor particle.
Used in Pharmaceutical Industry:
Arabic gum is used as a soothing and anti-inflammatory agent in inflammatory conditions of the respiratory, digestive, and urinary tracts. It is also useful in treating diarrhea and dysentery. In many cases of disease, a solution of gum arabic may constitute the exclusive drink and food of the patient for a time.
Used in Cosmetic Industry:
In extract form, acacia is recommended for dry, sensitive, or delicate skin. It is used as a colloidal stabilizer and as an emulsifier in flavor emulsions.
Used in Confectionary:
Arabic gum is used in confectionary glazes and as a form stabilizer. It also functions as a cloud agent in beverages.
Used in Traditional Medicine:
Arabic gum has been used in traditional remedies as a soothing and anti-inflammatory agent. It has been reported to possess antioxidant, nephroprotectant, and other effects. Clinically, it has been tried in patients with chronic renal failure, and it was claimed that it helps reduce urea and creatinine plasma concentrations and reduces the need for dialysis.
Used in Other Industries:
Arabic gum is also used in the manufacture of adhesives, ink, and as a binding medium for marbling colors. It is widely used in the textile, pottery, lithography, and paint industries.

Biological and pharmacological effects

Lipid mechanism GA increased cholesterol biosynthesis in rats fed a cholesterol-containing diet, but had no effect in rats on a cholesterol-free diet[8]. Ross et al.[9] and Sharma[10] reported reductions of total serum cholesterol by 6% and 10.4%, respectively when subjects received 25 g/day and 30 g/day of GA for periods of 21 and 30 days. The decrease was confined to LDL and VLDL cholesterol only, with no effect on HDL and triglycerides. Blood glucose level Mixtures of different types of gum have been shown to inhibit glucose movement in vitro, and lower postprandial blood glucose and plasma insulin in human subjects when incorporated in a drink containing 50 g glucose[11,12]. Gastrointestinal tract GA can improve small intestinal absorption of water as well as electrolytes[13,14]. Various mechanism[s] have been proposed to account for the proabsorptive effects of GA on intestinal water and electrolytes under normal conditions and more so in conditions of diarrheal illness[15]. GA is a soluble fiber with moderate emulsifying properties[16] that may result in greater accessibility of electrolytes and associated water to the microvillous membrane. This was probably reflected in the increased lumen-to-serosa water influx noted with GA administration in the chronic osmotic-secretory diarrhea model[14]. Tooth mineralization It has been shown, using histopathological methods, that GA has the ability to enhance remineralization[17], probably by supporting other remineralization activities. This supporting role was ascribed to the rich content of Ca2+, Mg2+, and K+ salts of polysaccharides in GA, and to the effect of the gum on the metabolism of Ca2+ and possibly phosphate.

Adverse effects and Toxicity

No significant adverse or toxic actions have been associated with the use of GA.

References

Anderson, D.M.W., Stoddart, J.F., 1996. 2, 104–114. Islam, A.M., Phillips, G.O., Sljivo, M.J., Williams, P.A., 1997. Food Hydrocoll. 11, 493–505. Verbeken, D., Dierckx, S., Dewettinck, K., 2003. Appl. Microbiol. Biotechnol. 63, 10–21. Gamal el-din, A.M., Mostafa, A.M., Al-Shabanah, O.A., Al-Bekairi, A.M., Nagi, M.N., 2003. Pharmacol. Res. 48, 631–635. Rehman, K., Wingertzahn, M.A., Harper, R.G., Wapnir, R.A., 2001. J. Pediatr. Gastroenterol. Nutr. 32, 529–533. Ali, A.A., Ali, K.E., Fadlalla, A., Khalid, K.E., 2008. Nat. Prod. Res. 22, 12–21. Suliman, S.M., Hamdouk, M.I., Elfaki, M.B., 2000. G.A. fiber as a supplement to low protein diet in chronic renal failure patients. In: Sudan Association of Physicians, 17th Conference, Friendship Hall, Khartoum, Sudan, 21–23 March. Kelley, J.J., Tsai, A., 1978. J. Nutr. 108, 630–639. Ross, A.H., Eastwood, M.A., Brydon, W.G., Anderson, J.R., Anderson, D.M., 1983. Am. J. Clin. Nutr. 37, 368–375. Sharma, R.D., 1985. Nutr. Res., 1321–1326. Edwards, C.A., Blackburn, N.A., Craigen, L., Davison, P., Tomlin, J., Sugden, K., Johnson, I.T., 1987. Am. J. Clin. Nutr. 46, 72–77. Torsdottir, I., Alpsten, M., Andersson, H., Einarsson, S., 1989. J. Nutr. 119, 1925–1931 Codipilly, C.N., Wapnir, R.A., 2004. Dig. Dis. Sci. 49, 1473–1478. Wapnir, R.A., Wingertzahn, M.A., Moyse, J., Teichberg, S., 1997. Gastroenterology 112, 1979–1985. Codipilly, C.N., Teichberg, S., Wapnir, R.A., 2006. J. Am. Coll. Nutr. 25, 307–312. Phillips, G.O., 1998. Food Addit. Contam. 15, 251–264. Onishi, T., Umemura, S., Yanagawa, M., Matsumura, M., Sasaki, Y., Ogasawara, T., Ooshima, T., 2008. Arch. Oral. Biol. 53, 257–260.

Production Methods

Acacia is the dried gummy exudate obtained from the stems and branches of Acacia senegal (Linné ) Willdenow or other related species of Acacia (Fam. Leguminosae) that grow mainly in the Sudan and Senegal regions of Africa. The bark of the tree is incised and the exudate allowed to dry on the bark. The dried exudate is then collected, processed to remove bark, sand, and other particulate matter, and graded. Various acacia grades differing in particle size and other physical properties are thus obtained. A spray-dried powder is also commercially available.

Air & Water Reactions

Water soluble. Aqueous solution is acid to litmus.

Reactivity Profile

Arabic gum reacts with strong oxidizing agents. Arabic gum precipitates out of solution or jellies upon addition of solutions of ferric salts, borax, basic lead acetate, alcohol, sodium silicate, gelatin or ammoniated tincture of guaiac.

Health Hazard

Exposures to gum arabica dust produce a weak allergen reaction. Prolonged periods of dust inhalation may cause allergic respiratory reaction, headache, coughing, dizziness, dyspnea, respiratory symptoms such as asthma, watery nose and eyes, cough, wheezing, nausea, vomiting, dyspnea, and urticaria. Hives, eczema, and swelling may also occur. Ingestion and inhalation of gum acacia is considered non-toxic, but sensitive individuals may develop symptoms of mild toxicity.

Fire Hazard

Flash point data for Arabic gum are not available; however, Arabic gum is probably combustible.

Pharmaceutical Applications

Acacia is mainly used in oral and topical pharmaceutical formulations as a suspending and emulsifying agent, often in combination with tragacanth. It is also used in the preparation of pastilles and lozenges, and as a tablet binder, although if used incautiously it can produce tablets with a prolonged disintegration time. Acacia has also been evaluated as a bioadhesive; and has been used in novel tablet formulations,and modified release tablets. Acacia is also used in cosmetics, confectionery, food products, and spray-dried flavors.

Biochem/physiol Actions

Gum arabic (GA) is reported to be a strong anti-oxidant and has shown protection against nephrotoxicity in mice by the generation of free radicals. GA also reduced the blood glucose concentration by initiating the release of insulin from the pancreatic β cells. It has hypolipidemic effect by increasing fecal bile acid and modification of lipid digestion. It is a potential therapeutic agent in hepatic and renal failures. It contains enzymes like oxidases, pectinases and peroxidases that act against microbes that cause tooth decay. Gum arabic is implicated in adverse effects like suppression of macrophage activation.

Safety Profile

Very low toxicity by ingestion.Inhalation or ingestion has produced hives, eczema, andangiodema. Experimental reproductive effects. A severeeye irritant. A weak allergen. Mutation data reported.Combustible. When heated to decomposition it emitsacrid

Safety

Acacia is used in cosmetics, foods, and oral and topical pharmaceutical formulations. Although it is generally regarded as an essentially nontoxic material, there have been a limited number of reports of hypersensitivity to acacia after inhalation or ingestion.Severe anaphylactic reactions have occurred following the parenteral administration of acacia and it is now no longer used for this purpose. The WHO has not set an acceptable daily intake for acacia as a food additive because the levels necessary to achieve a desired effect were not considered to represent a hazard to health. LD50 (hamster, oral): >18 g/kg LD50 (mouse, oral): >16 g/kg LD50 (rabbit, oral): 8.0 g/kg LD50 (rat, oral): >16 g/kg

storage

Aqueous solutions are subject to bacterial or enzymatic degradation but may be preserved by initially boiling the solution for a short time to inactivate any enzymes present; microwave irradiation can also be used. Aqueous solutions may also be preserved by the addition of an antimicrobial preservative such as 0.1% w/v benzoic acid, 0.1% w/v sodium benzoate, or a mixture of 0.17% w/v methylparaben and 0.03% propylparaben. Powdered acacia should be stored in an airtight container in a cool, dry place.

Incompatibilities

amidopyrine, apomorphine, cresol, ethanol (95%), ferric salts, morphine, phenol, physostigmine, tannins, thymol, and vanillin. An oxidizing enzyme present in acacia may affect preparations containing easily oxidizable substances. However, the enzyme may be inactivated by heating at 100℃ for a short time. Many salts reduce the viscosity of aqueous acacia solutions, while trivalent salts may initiate coagulation. Aqueous solutions carry a negative charge and will form coacervates with gelatin and other substances. In the preparation of emulsions, solutions of acacia are incompatible with soaps.

Regulatory Status

GRAS listed. Accepted for use in Europe as a food additive. Included in the FDA Inactive Ingredients Database (oral preparations and buccal or sublingual tablets). Included in the Canadian List of Acceptable Non-medicinal Ingredients. Included in nonparenteral medicines licensed in the UK.