Structural Characteristics and Functional Properties of Gum Arabic

Gum arabic occurs as a sticky liquid that oozes from the stems and branches of acacia trees, which grow across the Sahelian belt of Africa. Although there are probably over 1000 species of acacia it is only the gum from Acacia senegal and Acacia seyal that can be referred to as gum arabic. The liquid dries in the sun to form glassy nodules, which are collected by hand by local farmers. The gum has been an article of commerce for more than 5000 years and was used by the Ancient Egyptians for producing paints and for coating the flaxen wrappings used to embalm mummies. Nowadays, its main applications are in confectionery to control texture and inhibit sugar crystallisation and in beverages as an emulsifier and encapsulator for flavour oils.