Gum Arabic

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Cat Number

PIE-0172

CAS Number

9000-01-5

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CAS Number

9000-01-5

EINECS

232-519-5

Storage

Room Temperature (Recommended in a cool and dark place, <15°C)

Synonyms

Arabic gum

Molecular Formula

C12H36

Molecular Weight

180.41

Smiles

CC.CC.CC.CC.CC.CC

Appearance

White powder

General Description

Gum arabic (GA), also known as acacia gum, is a natural exudate of the Acacia senegal and Acacia seyal tree species of Leguminosae family. Chemically, it is a highly branched neutral or slightly acidic heteropolysaccharide. The main chain of GA is a 1,3-linked β-D-galactopyranosyl residue backbone and L-arabinose, L-rhamnose and D-glucuronic acid are the other components. The side chains contain two to five 1,3-linked β-D-galactopyranosyl units, linked to the main chain by a 1,6-linkage.

Application

Gum arabic is one of the most ancient and widely known natural gums. Because of its edibility, highly vigorous water solubility, GRAS (generally recognized as safe) status, absence of aftertaste, and other favorable properties, gum arabic has been extensively used in the food industry. On account of its emulsifying, stabilizing, thickening, and binding properties, it is employed in the manufacture of various foods such as ice creams, jellies, candies, soft drinks, beverages, syrups, chewing gums, etc. For its film-forming property, it is used in confectionery coatings and glazes. Owing to the ability to increase the shelf life of flavors, it is an attractive food additive. Gum arabic has been approved for use in foods in European Union countries. Codex Alimentarius, a collection of internationally recognized standards, codes of practice and guidelines for foods, has recommended it. It is also used as a coating agent for pills and lozenges in pharmaceutical and herbal medicines. In cosmeceuticals, it is used for the formulation of creams and lotions. On account of its excellent binding property, gum arabic is a main component of traditional lithography, printing, and water color paints. It is also used in the textile industry for imparting tensile strength to yarns.

Gum Arabic is used in a variety of dosage forms, mainly as an oral binder. Gum Arabic has a low viscosity and high water solubility which results in rapid erosion, short disintegration time and fast drug dissolution. Beyond simple binding, GA functions as a release modifier or matrix former. For instance, Streubel et al. combined GA with HPMC to create floating tablets for verapamil and diltiazem. While the inclusion of GA increased porosity and maintained buoyancy for over 8 hours in 0.1M HCl, its rapid dissolution resulted in a complete drug release within 2 hours—a limitation for sustained-delivery needs. To overcome this, grafting acrylamide onto GA (5:1 ratio) has been shown to successfully extend the release of diltiazem and nifedipine to 6 and 14 hours, respectively.

References

Nayak, et al. Natural polymers for pharmaceutical applications: Volume 1: Plant-derived polymers. [M]. CRC Press, 2019.

Gum arabic (GA) served as a critical surface modifier in a cervical cancer drug delivery study. Researchers encapsulated the anticancer compound andrographolide (AND) within coconut-derived liposomes (CL) and modified their surface with GA. This GA modification enhanced encapsulation efficiency (93.5% vs. 87.7% in unmodified liposomes) by forming a protective coating that reduced drug leakage. GA-modified liposomes (CLANDGA) demonstrated improved stability (zeta potential −54.9 mV) and controlled drug release (38% at 48 hours vs. 37% in unmodified CLAND). In vitro tests on HeLa cells revealed GA’s synergistic effect, reducing IC50 to 47.82 mg/L compared to 59 mg/L for non-GA liposomes. FTIR analysis confirmed GA’s carboxyl groups formed non-covalent interactions with AND, while molecular docking indicated AND maintained binding affinity to HPV E6 proteins. These results demonstrate GA’s dual role in stabilizing nanocarriers and enhancing therapeutic efficacy against cervical cancer.

Fig. 2 Andrographolide-encapsulated nanoliposomes with gum Arabic surface modification. (Khairiah R, et al. 2025)

References

Khairiah R, et al. Andrographolide-encapsulated nanoliposomes with gum Arabic surface modification inhibits cervical cancer growth: In vitro and in silico approaches. Results in Chemistry. 2025, 14: 102083.

How should Gum Arabic be protected from moisture?

Keep Gum Arabic in airtight containers to prevent clumping caused by high humidity.

Can Gum Arabic be stored near strong-smelling chemicals?

No, Gum Arabic should be kept away from odours as it can absorb foreign scents.

How can I request a price quote for high-grade Gum Arabic?

Please email us with your volume requirements for a Gum Arabic price list.

How will I receive the tracking number for my Gum Arabic shipment?

We will email the tracking number once the Gum Arabic departs.