Acacia nilotica: How a traditional herb is generating a great deal of excitement among modern scientists

The acacia nilotica tree is found in Natal, Swaziland and near the Zambezi river in Africa, but takes its name because it mainly grows along the banks of the river Nile. Its pods resemble a beaded necklace and its black/grey bark produces an edible gum, which has been used as a medicine for many centuries.

The Zulu use the gum as a cough remedy, whereas the Masai use the bark to flavour many of their meals and believe it can improve courage and stamina. In fact many parts of the plant, including the bark, roots and leaves, have been utilised traditionally for medicinal purposes as a general tonic and aphrodisiac, and to help treat anxiety, depression, diarrhoea and fungal infections.

Now you may be wondering why HSI is covering a traditional remedy, when normally we bring you cutting-edge reports on breakthrough new treatments. The reason is that there has been so much research into this herb recently, and the findings have been so promising, that we wanted to share them with you straight away.

Because of the diverse range of complaints that acacia is credited with helping, scientists wanted to see if there was indeed any weight behind these claims. What they have found so far has already generated a great deal of excitement. Not only have the results validated many of the plants traditional uses, they have also uncovered new benefits linked to the plant. One of the most promising being its potential to protect against cancer, which is still being researched.

Scientists from the Department of Botanical and Environmental Sciences, Amritsar, in India, found that acacia contains gallic acid a powerful plant chemical that is well-known for its ability to both prevent the growth of cancerous cells and kill existing ones (Ref. 1).

Powerful immune-boosting properties help keep infections at bay

Scientists are fast discovering that acaia is able to fortify the immune system against many harmful pathogens. For example, researchers recently found that the naturally-occurring chemicals that the plant contains including arabin, galactose, saponin, tannin and the minerals phosphorus and calcium work together to strengthen the immune system and destroy infectious bugs. In fact their research revealed that the plant is particularly effective against malaria (Ref. 2).

In addition, scientists from the Department of Oral Surgery and Oral Pathology, Muhimbili University College of Health Sciences in Tanzania have found that the plant can successfully combat fungal infections something which it has been traditionally employed to fight for centuries.

The researchers examined several plants used in Tanzanian folk medicine, including acacia, against different fungal infections such as thrush, athletes foot and ringworm. They found that acacia was one of the plants that exerted the biggest benefit when it came to fighting several different types of fungal infection (Ref.3).

Acacia has a direct effect on sex hormones

Acacia influences both male and female sex hormones. In fact, one of its traditional uses in Ethiopia is that it is often given to nursing mothers to promote milk production. Scientists from the Human and Animal Physiology Group, Department of Animal Sciences, Wageningen University, in the Netherlands were so intrigued by this aspect of the plant that they conducted an animal study to see if there was indeed a scientific basis to this claim.

The scientists were startled by what they found. When female rats were given high doses of acacia extract they produced, on average, 59 per cent more milk compared to rats who did not receive the plant extract. In addition, the pups of the mothers who took acacia gained weight at a much faster rate than those from the untreated group.

The scientists believe that acacia is able to do this by improving the production of the sex hormone prolactin, which is responsible for stimulating the breast tissue to produce milk (Ref. 4).
 
In another study, scientists from the Department of Chemistry, Sir Parshurambhau College, Pune in India, found that the plant contains a sex hormone called 3beta-acetoxy-17beta-hydroxy-androstene. Androstenes are male sex hormones, which stimulate male potency and muscle strength. The scientists also found an additional benefit attached to this hormone namely that it possesses anti-inflammatory properties (Ref. 5).
 
In an animal study, scientists from the Department of Environmental Studies, Institute of Graduate Studies and Research, Alexandria University, in Egypt, discovered that low doses of acacia extract can increase both sperm function and testosterone levels and believe that a similar result could be expected in humans too (Ref. 6).

The scientists believe that high doses of acacia do not necessarily translate into a stronger effect. The way the plant appears to work is by stimulating specific enzymes, which facilitate the production of the male hormone testosterone. This, in turn, promotes improved sexual function. 

Studies back up traditional claims that acacia is effective against diarrhoea

As already mentioned, one of the traditional medicinal uses for acacia is as a remedy for diarrhoea. In fact, many African tribes have been using it for this purpose for millennia.

Scientists from the Department of Pharmacognosy and Drug Development, Ahmadu Bello University, in Nigeria, studied acacia nilotica in addition to several other medicinal plants including Acanthospermun hispidum, Gmelina arborea, Parkia biglobosa and Vitex doniana to see if they had an effect on diarrhoea.

The scientists found that acacia, in addition to the other remedies tested, successfully put a stop to episodes of diarrhoea. It is able to do this by encouraging the bowel to relax and by preventing the excessive contractions that occur when you have diarrhoea (Ref. 7).

Better still, the plant didnt cause any side effects. This is in sharp contrast to many existing conventional treatments for the condition, such as loperamide (Imodium) and Lomotil. They can cause unpleasant side effects such as constipation, stomach upset, rash and headaches, and arent always effective.

Acacia Gum: What to take for best results

Acacia gum is available in powder form. Dissolve the acacia gum powder in water 1 part powder into 8.7 parts water and take one to three times a day, or as otherwise recommended by a health care professional.
 
There are no known side effects or contraindications associated with its use and several studies have confirmed its safety (Ref. 8).

References

1. Kaur K, Michael H, Arora S, Harkonen P, Kumar S.  J Ethnopharmacol. 2005;99(3):353-60
2. Kirira PG, et al. J Ethnopharmacol. 2006;106(3):403-7
3. Hamza OJ, van den Bout-van den Beukel CJ et al. J Ethnopharmacol. 2006 May; Epub ahead of print.
4. Lompo-Ouedraogo Z, van der Heide D, et al. J Endocrinol. 2004;182(2):257-66
5. Chaubal R, Mujumdar AM, Misar A, Deshpande VH, Deshpande NR. Arzneimittelforschung. 2006;56(6):394-8
6. Yousef MI. Food Chem Toxicol. 2005;43(2):333-9
7. Agunu A, Yusuf S, Andrew GO, Zezi AU, Abdurahman EM.  J Ethnopharmacol. 2005;101(1-3):27-30
8. Doi Y, Ichihara T, Hagiwara A, et al. Food Chem Toxicol. 2006;44(4):560-6