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Acacia nilotica (L.) Delile. (Fabaceae/Leguminosae)

(Syns.: A. arabica (Lam.) Willd.; A. vera Willd.; A. scorpioides W. Wight; Mimosa arabica Lam.; M. nilotica L.; M. scorpioides L.; Vachellia nilotica (L.) P.J.H. Hurter & Mabb.)

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Handbook of 200 Medicinal Plants

Abstract

The translucent gum of a tropical shrub, found throughout tropical Africa, India, Iraq, and West Indies, is chiefly composed of calcium, magnesium and potassium salts of polysaccharides. It has been used for centuries in traditional medicines, by Egyptians and other Arab physicians. British Pharmacopoeia describes gum acacia as a source of useful medicaments. Gum Arabica is very brittle, nearly scentless and bland in taste; soluble in water and insoluble in alcohol, ether and oils. The gum is ascribed astringent, demulcent, emollient, antiseptic, tonic and nutritive properties, and is used for irritated conditions of mucous membranes, such as cough, sore throat, chronic bronchitis, diarrhea, dysentery, leucorrhea, cystitis, urethritis, gonorrhea, burns, sore nipples, inflammations and nodular leprosy. It is primarily indigestible in humans, and extensively used as food additive. Chief use of the gum in pharmacy is as an emulsifying agent to suspend insoluble powders in aqueous mixtures, and as a binding agent to make pills and tablets specially cough drops and lozenges. It is commonly employed as a demulcent in preparations designed to treat diarrhea, dysentery, coughs, sore throat and fevers. A paste of the gum with egg white is applied in conjunctivitis, and is also reported to be useful as food for diabetic patients. Pounded tender leaves into a pulp are also administered in dysentery and diarrhea; the leaves decoction used as gargle is useful in spongy gums and relaxed sore throat, and to wash hemorrhagic ulcers and wounds. Decoction of leaves and pods is dried and made into tablets, and is known as Aqaqia . Gentamicin-induced nephrotoxicity in rats was significantly ameliorated by pretreatment and concomitant treatment with gum Arabic, in part, due to reduced oxidative stress. Gum Arabic is reported clinically useful in cases of chronic renal disease, especially the End-Stage Renal Disease (ESRD) requiring renal dialysis; and, administration of gum Arabic is also reported to decrease TC and LDL-C in mild hypercholesterolemia.

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  1. Stockton, CA, USA

    Shahid Akbar

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Akbar, S. (2020). Acacia nilotica (L.) Delile. (Fabaceae/Leguminosae). In: Handbook of 200 Medicinal Plants. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-16807-0_6

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