Gum arabic, also known as acacia gum, arabic
gum, gum acacia, acacia, Senegal gum and Indian gum, and by other
names, is a natural gum consisting of the hardened sap of various
species of the acacia tree. Gum arabic is collected from acacia
species, predominantly Acacia senegal and Vachellia (Acacia) seyal.
The term "gum arabic" does not indicate a particular botanical
source. In a few cases soâ€called "gum arabic" may not even have
been collected from Acacia species, but may originate from
Combretum, Albizia or some other genus. The gum is harvested
commercially from wild trees, mostly in Sudan (*0%) and throughout
the Sahel, from Senegal to Somalia—though it is historically
cultivated in Arabia and West Asia. Gum arabic is a complex mixture of
glycoproteins and polysaccharides predominantly consisting of
arabinose and galactose. It is soluble in water, edible, and used
primarily in the food industry as a stabilizer, with EU E number
E**4. Gum arabic is a key ingredient in traditional lithography and
is used in printing, paint production, glue, cosmetics and various
industrial applications, including viscosity control in inks and in
textile industries, though less expensive materials compete with it
for many of these roles.
