Tragacanth

The Basics On Tragacanth

What is Tragacanth?

Natural gum used as a thickener in cosmetics.

What are other names for Tragacanth?

ASTRAGALUS GUMMIFER GUM, GUM SHIRAZ, GUM TRAGACANTH, GUM, ASTRAGALUS GUMMIFER, TRAGACANTH, TRAGACANTH (ASTRAGALUS GUMMIFER) GUM, TRAGACANTH GUM, and TRAGACANTH GUM (ASTRAGALUS SPP.)

What is Tragacanth used for?

What is tragacanth used for? Tragacanth is used both for diarrhea and constipation. It is also an ingredient in toothpastes, hand lotions, denture adhesives, and vaginal creams and jellies. In foods, tragacanth is important for stabilizing and thickening ingredients in salad dressings, foods, and beverages.

How Tragacanth is classified

Thickeners/Emulsifiers, Texture Enhancer

Recommendations for using Tragacanth during pregnancy and breastfeeding

Limited data suggests no known risk

 

Tragacanth During Pregnancy

What we know about using Tragacanth while pregnant or breastfeeding

Limited information available.

The acute toxicity of xanthan gum, gellan gum, beta-glucan, sodium carboxymethyl beta-glucan, and pullulan was assessed orally in mice, rats, and/or dogs, and dextran sulfate and beta-glucan were tested by i.p. and i.v. dosing in mice and rats. There was no notable toxicity observed in these studies. In acute inhalation studies, the LC50 of xanthan gum was >21 mg/l in rabbits and of gellan gum was >5.06 mg/l in rats. A single 180-min exposure of humans office dust containing 10 mg curdlan/g dust resulted in decreased nasal volume, in swelling in the nasal turbinates, and an increase in nasal eosinophils when compared to “clean” dust. Inflammatory Response Beta-Glucan The inflammatory response following a single exposure to beta-glucan (as curdlan) was evaluated in guinea pigs.52-54 Mostly, no effect or a slight decrease in inflammatory cells in lung lavage was observed. A 4 h inhalation exposure to 1% beta-glucan in dust (mass mean aerodynamic diameter [MMAD] 5 µm) by guinea pigs produced a delayed subacute nasal congestion when compared to dust without beta-glucan (MMAD 6.5 µm) and resulted in decreased nasal volume; after 18 h, there was a significant decrease 8 in nasal volume.52 In humans, inhalation exposure to beta-glucan in dust for four 3 h exposures resulted in increased nasal swelling and decreased nasal volume and an immediate increased in nasal eosinophil/ml count.55 Pullulan The effect of pullulan on inflammation was investigated in ICR mice using the xylene-induced acute inflammatory mouse ear model.56 Groups of nine mice were dosed orally with 0, 62.5, 125, or 250 mg/kg pullulan in distilled water 30 min prior to topical application of xylene to one ear. Two h after xylene application, all animals were killed. Compared to xylene-treated controls, ear weights were statistically significantly decreased in a dose-dependent manner. Additional histological indicators of inflammation were not observed. Levan An interleukin (IL)-1α release assay was used to determine the anti-inflammation effect of a 5% aq. levan solution on artificial skin.57 Primary skin irritation was first induced using sodium lauryl sulfate (SLS). A dose of 0.01 or 0.05 mg/ml of the solution was applied to the skin. Levan decreased IL-1α release, indicating an anti-inflammatory effect. Cytotoxicity Levan The cytotoxic effect of 5% levan (w/w) was determined using human fibroblasts and keratinocytes.57 The 3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol2-yl)-2,5-diphenyl tetrazolium bromide (MTT) assay was used to measure cell viability and proliferation after 24 h incubation with levan. Levan, ≤100 µg/ml, was not cytotoxic to human fibroblasts. Levan had a proliferative effect in keratinocytes; proliferation was >30% at concentrations of >1 mg/ml.

General safety info about Tragacanth from CIR

The CIR Expert Panel assessed the safety of 34 microbial polysaccharide gums for use in cosmetics, finding that these ingredients are safe in cosmetic formulations in the present practices of use and concentration. The microbial polysaccharide gums named in this report have a variety of reported functions in cosmetics, including emulsion stabilizer, film former, binder, viscosity increasing agent, and skin conditioning agent. The Panel reviewed available animal and clinical data in making its determination of safety.

Use this, not that!

Products where you might find Tragacanth

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