THE CHEMICAL CHARACTERIZATION OF THE TEST ARTICLE USED IN TOXICOLOGICAL STUDIES OF GUM ARABIC (<i>ACACIA SENEGAL</i>(L.) WILLD)

Abstract

SUMMARY The sample of commercial gum arabic used as the “Test Article” in recent toxicological studies has been characterized chemically. Comparative analytical data, presented for seven other commercial gum arabic samples, and for five specimens of gum collected from authenticated Acacia Senegal trees in several gum producing countries, indicate that the Test Article is a fair, average representative sample of gum arabic originating from Acacia Senegal and conforming in all respects to established international standards of identity and purity.