Monograph: |
The air-hardened gummy exudate from the trunk and branches of Acacia senegal, other species of Acacia of African origin, and Acacia seyal. Yellowish-white, yellow, or pale amber tears, sometimes with a pinkish tint. It is friable, opaque, frequently with a cracked surface, easily broken into irregular, whitish or slightly yellowish angular fragments with conchoidal fracture and a glassy and transparent appearance. Very slowly but almost completely soluble, after about 2 hours, in twice its mass of water leaving only a very small residue of vegetable particles; the liquid obtained is colourless or yellowish, dense, viscous, adhesive, translucent, and weakly acid to blue litmus paper. Practically insoluble in alcohol. Protect from light.
Incompatibility.
Incompatibilities of acacia have been reported with a number of substances including alcohol, aminophenazone, apomorphine, cresol, ferric salts, morphine, phenol, physostigmine, tannins, thymol, and vanillin. Acacia contains an oxidising enzyme that may affect preparations containing easily oxidised substances; the enzyme may be inactivated by heating at 100 degrees for a short time.
Adverse Effects
Hypersensitivity reactions have occurred rarely after inhalation or ingestion of acacia.
Uses
Acacia is used in pharmaceutical manufacturing as a suspending and emulsifying agent, as a tablet binder, and in pastilles. It is often used with tragacanth.
It is used as an emulsifier and stabiliser in the food industry.
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