Acacia

for sem 3 B. pharm students GTU

1. ACACIA BY KRISHNA M. BAROT B.PHARM SEM. 3 APIP. JAMNAGAR Guide by: Mrs. Pooja Khanpara

2. SYNONYMS : Gum acacia , Gum Arabic , Indian gum , Babul.

3. BIOLOGICAL SOURCE : Indian gum is the dried gummy exudation obtained from the steam and branches of Acacia Arabic wild, belonging to the family Leguminosae .

4. GEOGRAPHICAL SORCES The plant is found in India, Sri Lanka, Sudan, Morocco, Africa. In India, it is occur Punjab, Rajasthan , Maharashtra and Western Ghats. About 85% of world supply of gum acacia is from Sudan.

5. CULTIVATION & COLLECTION : It is a common member of dry monsoon forests of India. It is an evergreen tree with short trunk. It is not cultivated on commercial scale. Plant can tolerate intensive drought, but it is susceptible to frost. It is grows under different climatic conditions due to its wide adaptability, from 0 c to 50 c and up to 500 m in altitude. It is propagated by seeds.

6. Gum is collected from wild grown plants, made free of bark and foreign organic matter, dried in sun, it is results in partial bleaching of gum.

7. DESCRIPTION : Color : Tears are cream – brown to red in color, while powder is light brown in color. Odour : Odourless Taste: Bland and mucilaginous. Size: Varying size Shape: Irregular brown tears.

8. SOLUBILITY: It is soluble in water. The watery solution is viscous and acidic. It is in soluble in alcohol.

9. STANDARD : MOISTURE : not more than 15% ASH: NOT MORE THAN 5% Indian gum should not contain tannin, starch, and dextrin. Leaves contain tannin 32% and fruits contain tannin 41.7% PARTS USED: leaves, barks, seed, gum.

10. CHEMICAL CONSTITUENTS: Gum acacia consists arabin , which is complex mixture of calcium, magnesium and potassium salts of arabic acid. Arabic acid on hydrolysis gives L- arabinose , D- galactose and D – glucuronic acid. It is also contains an enzyme oxidase and peroxidase . bark: bark contains several polyphenolic compounds, catechin , epicatechin , quercetin , gallic acid, sucrose, tannin, M- digallic acid and chlorogenic acid. Seeds: they contain amino acids, fatty acids, ascorbic acid and more tannin.

11. IDENTIFICATION : Solutions of gum lead acetate geletinises the aqueous solution of Indian gum. It does not produce a pink color with the solution of ruthenium red. On addition of solutions of hydrogen peroxide and alcohol to aqueous solution of gum, blue color is produced due to oxidase enzyme.

12. USES : It is used as demulcent, intravenously in haemolysis ; suspending agent ; emulsifying agent for fixed oil ; volatile oil; liquid paraffin and binding agent in the preparation lozenges. Pastilles, compressed tablets. In combination with gelatin, it is used to form coacervates for microencapsulation of drugs, as astringent and styptic.

13. PODS: decoction is beneficial in urinogenital diseases. LEAVES : infusion of tender leaves are used as an astringent and remedy for diarrhea and dysentery. BARK : decoction of bark is used as a gargle in sore throat and toothache. Dry powder of bark is applied externally in ulcers. GUM is used in the food, drinks and other industries, liver tonic expectorant, antipyretic etc.

14. The twig is used for brushing the teeth. Alcoholic extract of bark has an antiprotozoal action against Entamoeba histolytica . Bark tannins killed bacterial virus ( E. coli R host cell ) at 1: 25000 dilution within 5 minutes. The root powder is used in leucorrhoea.

15. TESTING FOR PURITY OF INDIAN ACACIA : Dilute 1 ml of the solution of gum with 10 ml of water and keep for few hours. No sedimentation should take place. To 1 ml of solution, add 4ml of water, boil, cool and add 2 drops of N/10 iodine. Brown color indicates presence of dextrin, where as blue color is due to starch. This test should be negative with authentic drug. To the gum acacia solution, add a drop of hydrogen peroxide and guaiacum – blue color is produced.

16. 4. With 4 drops of 0.1% ferric chloride to 1 ml of the solution, blue or black color ( due to tannins ) is produced.

17. SUBSTITUTE & ADULTRATION : A gum obtain from acacia senegal wild, in Africa, consists of tears- rounded or avoid and about 4 to 40 mm in diameter and yellowish white in color. It can be substituted to Indian gum. Indian gum is adulterated with gum ghatti , obtained from Anogeissus latifolia which s distinguished from the genuine drug by following characters. Its outer surface is dull and without fissures. It shows very slight ppt with lead subacetate solution and its aqueous solution is highly viscous. Starch, tragacanth , dextrin, and sterculia gum are the other adulterants of acacia.

18. STORAGE : Acacia or powder acacia should be stored in cool dry place in air-tight containers.