Gum arabic, also known as gum acacia, chaar gund, char goond or meska, is a natural gum made of hardened sap taken from two species of the acacia tree; Acacia Senegal and Acacia seyal. It is dried exudates obtained from the stems and branches of Acacia tree. Gum Arabic consists mainly of high-molecular weight polysaccharides, glycoproteins and their calcium, magnesium, and potassium salts, which on hydrolysis yield arabinose, galactose, rhamnose, and glucuronic acid. Items of commerce may contain extraneous materials such as sand and pieces of bark, which must be removed before use in food. Gum contains Arabic acid combined with calcium. Magnesium and potassium, also a small quantity of malic acid, sugar, moisture and ash. Gum arabic is a key ingredient in traditional lithography and is used in printing, paint production, glue, cosmetics and various industrial applications, including viscosity control in inks and in textile industries, although cheaper materials compete with it for many of these roles.
