THE GOLDEN TEARS OF THE ACACIA TREE:
AL-SOMKH AL-ARABI, OR GUM ARABIC
NAME AND ORIGIN
The name “Gum Arabic” is a literal translation from Arabic. It was commonly used in Africa and the Middle East for centuries and only came to be known through the Moslem conquests as early as the 6th and 7th centuries when they landed on European shores. It is also referred to as Acacia Gum or Acacia Senegal.
Gum Arabic is a pale white to orange-brown solid and natural gum, which breaks with a glassy fracture. The best grades are in the form of whole, spheroidal tears of varying sizes with a matt surface texture. When ground, the pieces are paler and have a glassy appearance. This dried water-soluble exudate comes primarily from two species of Acacia in sub-Saharan Africa, Acacia Senegal and Acacia Seval. It is native to the Sudan region in Africa, the world’s largest producer. Most of what is produced as “Hashab” is exported.
PROPERTIES AND USES
The ‘Wild Dozen’ is a list of twelve wild-harvested plant ingredients, selected to represent the types of risks and opportunities that can face all wild-harvested plants. Gum Arabic is a natural gum usually used as a thickener, emulsifier, and binder in food with the European food additive number E414.
Acacia Gum is appreciated for its functional properties, but also because it is in line with consumers’ expectations: 100% plant-based, GMO-free, pesticide-free, gluten-free, colorless, and very low in calories. It is odorless and tasteless, opaque, although glassy, and amber in color. With emulsifying properties at 30%, a PH at 4.5, and a water solubility of 43–48%. It is often used to improve the consistency or as a binding agent.
It is used in the manufacture of:
· Glues and adhesives on stamps, envelopes, and OCBs (tobacco-rolling paper).
· In all food and drink products: sauces, refreshments, confections,
· Pharmaceuticals.
· Inks and dyes.
· Cosmetics.
· Ceramics.
· Painting.
· Photography.
· Printmaking.
The bark of most acacias is rich in tannin, which is used in tanning and dyes, inks, pharmaceuticals, and other industrialized products.
HISTORY
According to history, the Mayans and Aztecs were the first to exploit the positive properties of gum. They used chicle, a natural tree gum from the Sapodilla tree, as a base for making a gum-like substance, and to stick objects together in everyday use. The oldest piece of chewing gum ever found is thought to be 9,000 years old!
Many years before Columbus landed in America, citizens of the world were chewing gum and popping bubbles. The ancient Greeks chewed “mastiche” while the Maya were busy chomping on “chicle.” In 1848, a colonist named John B Curtis picked up on a Native American habit of chewing resin; he branded it “The State of Main Pure Spruce Gum.” Over the next two decades, both paraffin wax and sweeteners were added to make it softer and sweeter, and we have been improving on it ever since. In the late 1840s, John Curtis developed the first commercial spruce tree gum by boiling resin, and then cutting it into strips that were coated in cornstarch to prevent them from sticking together. By the early 1850s, Curtis had constructed the world’s first chewing gum factory, in Portland, Maine. The first bubble gum ever marketed was done so under the name “Blibber-Blubber.” The color of the first successful bubble gum was pink because it was the only color that was left with the inventor.
A 5700-YEAR-OLD HUMAN GENOME AND ORAL MICROBIOME FROM A CHEWED GUM: A 2019 study into a wad of gum of Birch pitch mapped the genetic profile of the individual who had chewed it. Although no human remains were found at the site of Syltholm in Sweden. The DNA in the gum was so well preserved that researchers were able to offer a glimpse of the girl who had chewed it and a snapshot of her life. A team of paleontologists at Stockholm University was able to determine the teenager’s Stone Age diet which included deer, trout, and hazelnuts. She was genetically more closely related to western hunter-gatherers from mainland Europe than hunter-gatherers from central Scandinavia. We also find that she likely had dark skin, dark brown hair, and blue eyes. In addition, we identify DNA fragments from several bacterial and viral taxa, including Epstein-Barr virus, as well as animal and plant DNA, which may have derived from a recent meal. The results highlight the potential of chewed birch pitch as a source of ancient DNA.
BENEFITS
Acacia Gum has long been used in traditional medicine and everyday applications. The Egyptians used the material as a glue and as a pain-reliever base. Ancient Greeks used it in various forms of chewing gum because of its health benefits. Those who mastered best its properties were the indigenous Africans and consequently, the Arabs through traditional inter-trade over the centuries. They both used it to purify water obtained through random sources, for example.
Arab physicians treated a wide variety of ailments with the gum, resulting in its current name.
· In skincare, they used it as a soothing ingredient to help alleviate inflammations.
· Ingested, it ameliorates the histopathological changes in the liver tissues.
· It has beneficial effects in acute and chronic renal failure of various etiologies.
· The protective effects are likely to be related to its anti-oxidant and anti-inflammatory properties.
Through scientific advancements, we are now aware of further benefits and uses:
· To thicken natural liquid soap and cosmetics.
· As an antioxidant, containing antioxidant minerals and enzymes.
· A physiological modulator for a variety of body functions such as cell proliferation, apoptosis, angiogenesis regulation, and inflammation.
· The treatment of diabetes, cholesterol, and IBS (
DEMAND
The top importers of Gum Arabic in 2022 were:
· USA — 21% of the world imports ($105 million)
· France — 21% ($104 million)
· India — 5.91% ($28 million)
· Germany — 5.54% ($26 million)
· United Kingdom — 3.99% ($19.2 million)
· China — 3.94% ($18.9 million)
Sammy RNAJ
WhatsApp +96170499352
Medium — @srn.abuj &/me
LinkedIn — /Sammy-rnaj-5847b8287
Twitter/X — @SammyRa97511456
Facebook (Remote Hub) — /profile.id=100080997426450
Facebook (The Reader’s Corner) — /profile.id=100094246617227
Quora — /Sammy-RNAJ
