File:Gummi_arabicum_pieces_and_powder.jpg · Wikimedia Commons · See Wikimedia Commons
gum arabic
Sign in to saveAlso known as gum acacia, Senegal gum, gum sudani
natural gum obtained from Acacia sensu lato tree sap
Gum arabic is a natural substance that comes from the sap of acacia trees. It has been used for centuries in various products, from food and beverages to pharmaceuticals and industrial applications, because of its useful binding and thickening properties.
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Research
2,781 papers- Gum Arabic as an environmentally sustainable polymeric anticorrosive material: Recent progresses and future opportunities.International journal of biological macromolecules · 2021
- Gum Arabic-protein coacervation: Recent advances for improved functionality and food applications.Advances in colloid and interface science · 2025
- Gum arabic in drug delivery systems: A route-specific overview and functional insights.Carbohydrate polymers · 2025
- The Efficacy of Gum Arabic in Managing Diseases: A Systematic Review of Evidence-Based Clinical Trials.Biomolecules · 2023
- Acacia gum (Gum Arabic): a nutritional fibre; metabolism and calorific value.Food additives and contaminants · 1998
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Encyclopedic overview
Acacia gum, pieces and powder Acacia senegal, pictured in the medicinal handbook Köhler's Medizinal-Pflanzen (1887) by Franz Eugen Köhler
Gum arabic (also known as gum acacia, gum sudani, Senegal gum and by other names) is a tree gum exuded by two species in the Acacia genus in its sensu lato (Latin for broad sense), pre 2005 meaning: Senegalia senegal and Vachellia seyal. However, the term "gum arabic" does not indicate a particular botanical source. The gum is harvested commercially from wild trees, mostly in Sudan (about 70% of the global supply) and throughout the Sahel, from Senegal to Somalia. The name "gum Arabic" (Arabic: الصمغ العربي, romanized: aṣ-ṣamḡ al-ʕarabī) was used in the Middle East at least as early as the 9th century. Gum arabic first found its way to Europe via Arabic ports and retained its name of origin.
Excerpted from Wikipedia’s “gum arabic” article, available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 licence.