| Botanical Name | Astragalus gummifer Labill. & other Astragalus species | Origin | Iran |
| Family & Genus | Fabaceae, Astragalus genus | Parts of Plant | Resin |
| Agriculture | Conventional | Manufacturing Method | Direct collection |
| Appearance | Pale yellow to beige translucent brittle granular lumps, horny texture | Odour | Virtually odorless, faint mild herbal hint, no resin aroma |
| Specific Components | Main acidic polysaccharides: D-galactose, L-rhamnose, D-galacturonic acid; minor tannins and flavonoids | ||
Tragacanth Gum
Tragacanth Gum is dried natural gummy exudate harvested from incised or naturally wounded stems and branches of thorny shrub Astragalus gummifer Labill. and other Asiatic Astragalus species of Fabaceae. Mainly produced in mountainous highlands of Iran, Türkiye and Syria, it is an official hydrocolloid listed in pharmacopoeias and food standards. This drought-resistant shrub grows on stony slopes at 1000–3000 m, with ribbon-like gum collected in dry season. Composed of water-soluble tragacanthin and water-insoluble bassorin, it swells intensely in water to form highly viscous gel with excellent stability across a wide pH range and superior suspending & film-forming performance. Historically used in traditional demulcent remedies, pigment binders and antique incense. It is widely applied in pharmaceutical suspending agents, food stabilizers, cosmetics and fragrance suspending additives today.
