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eISSN: 2083-5906
ISSN: 1230-1485
ISSN: 1230-1485
REVIEW PAPER
Micropropagation of Gum Arabic Tree
(Acacia senegal): An Economically and Ecologically
Important Sub-Saharan African Tree
1
Department of Environmental and Occupational Health, Faculty of Public Health, and Health Informatics,
Umm Al-Qura University, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia
Submission date: 2025-11-20
Final revision date: 2026-01-05
Acceptance date: 2026-01-27
Online publication date: 2026-05-06
Corresponding author
Mutasim M. Khalafalla
Umm Al-Qura University, College of Public Health and Health Informatics, Environmental and occupational Health Department, Saudi Arabia
Umm Al-Qura University, College of Public Health and Health Informatics, Environmental and occupational Health Department, Saudi Arabia
KEYWORDS
TOPICS
ABSTRACT
Gum arabic (Acacia senegal) is a multipurpose tree widely distributed throughout the Sudano-
Sahelian region of sub-Saharan Africa, extending from Sudan to Senegal. It is best known for being
the main source of high-quality commercial gum arabic, a bark exudate used in a variety of food,
pharmaceutical, and industrial products. Gum arabic trees are conventionally propagated through seeds.
However, in addition to the difficulty in obtaining selected seeds every year, poor germination, and the
death of young seedlings in the natural habitat, this method results in high genetic diversity within the
species’ populations. In vitro micropropagation may be the best substitute to avoid the drawbacks of
traditional propagation. Micropropagation promotes large-scale commercial plantations and sustainable
agriculture to satisfy the growing global demand for gum arabic. Additionally, it can be used for
conservation, genetic enhancement, and production of disease-free planting materials. However, despite
its potential, gum arabic tree micropropagation methods face several difficulties, including a poor
multiplication rate, low rooting, and a high mortality rate during acclimatization. In this review, we first
provide an overview of gum arabic trees and their conventional means of propagation, and then describe
all published research and the most up-to-date information on the progress made in the field of gum
arabic tree micropropagation from 1973 to 2025. The challenges and future perspectives of this study
are also outlined.
CONFLICT OF INTEREST
The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper.
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| eISSN: | 2083-5906 |
| ISSN: | 1230-1485 |
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