Astragalus microcephalus
Details Top
| Internal ID | UUID643fdd9dd5798833072498 |
| Scientific name | Astragalus microcephalus |
| Authority | Willd. |
| First published in | Sp. Pl., ed. 4, 3: 1332 (1802) |
General Uses Top
Suggest a correction!Common products:
Gum tragacanth (a hydrocolloid exudate from stems and branches) is the principal commercial product obtained from Astragalus microcephalus.
Industrial and craft applications:
The gum is used in printing and textile printing pastes, where it acts as a thickener and rheology control agent; in paper and board coatings as a stabilizer for pigment dispersions; in ceramic glazes to modify viscosity and prevent flocculation; as an emulsifier in microencapsulation of flavors and aromas; as an adhesive and film-former in specialty papers, adhesive labels, and laminates; and as a release aid in molding and casting.
Food and beverages (non-medicinal):
Edible tragacanth gum (classified as a dietary fiber) functions as a thickener, stabilizer, and emulsifier in dairy products (e.g., ice cream, yogurts), bakery fillings and icings, confectionery glazes, processed meats and fish products, and beverages (including syrups and plant-based beverages). It is used in bakery improvers to control dough rheology, in ice cream and frozen desserts to improve body and melt behavior, and in fruit preparations to maintain integrity during thermal processing.
Colorants and tanning:
The gum’s hydroxyacid-rich hydrocolloid matrix and high carbohydrate content make it useful as a dispersant and stabilizer for natural and synthetic dyes and pigments, and as a carrier for mordant solutions in dyeing.
Wood and fiber:
The gum is employed as a sizing agent and wet-end additive in paper manufacturing and as a sizing/stiffening agent for textiles and cordage, where it forms cohesive films on fibers.
Fragrance and cosmetics:
Tragacanth gum serves as a stabilizer and film-former in lotions, creams, emulsions, mascaras, lipsticks, and hair styling products, as well as a suspending agent in dentifrices and a viscosity control agent in toothpaste bases.
Properties relevant to use:
The gum comprises tragacanthin (water‑soluble fraction) and bassorin (water‑swelling fraction), with a high proportion of uronic acids and galacturonic acid. Solutions exhibit pseudoplastic flow, high viscosity at low concentrations, and good shear‑thinning recovery; they are stable over a broad pH range and compatible with most hydrocolloids, proteins, and solvents. The two‑fraction structure imparts both solubility and swelling behavior, enabling both thickening and film‑formation functions. Its polysaccharide profile confers resistance to oxidative and enzymatic degradation under typical product conditions, supporting long‑term stability of emulsions and suspensions.
Standards and regulation:
Gum tragacanth is monographed in major pharmacopoeias (e.g., Ph. Eur., USP‑NF), and traded specifications are aligned with ISO/ASTM practices for food‑grade hydrocolloids (e.g., ISO 2291 for sampling and ISO 9001 quality management in the gum trade). Food applications follow national additive and labeling rules; cosmetic uses comply with cosmetic regulatory frameworks.
Sustainability and sourcing:
Astragalus microcephalus occurs in steppe and mountain habitats in Turkey and northern Iran. Commercial gum is obtained by tapping mature individuals; guidelines for sustainable tapping emphasize moderate incision frequency, seasonal timing, and regeneration monitoring to maintain stands and biodiversity.
Synonyms Top
| Scientific name | Authority | First published in |
|---|---|---|
| Astracantha erinacea | (Fisch.) Podlech | |
| Astracantha microcephala | (Willd.) Podlech | Mitt. Bot. Staatssamml. München19: 15 (1983) |
| Tragacantha microcephala | Kuntze | Revis. Gen. Pl.2: 946 (1891) |
| Astracantha gudrathi | (Al.Fed., Fed. & Rzazade) Podlech | Mitt. Bot. Staatssamml. München 19: 12 (1983) |
| Astracantha carthlica | (Al.Fed., Fed. & Rzazade) Podle |
Common names Top
Add a new one! Suggest a correction!| Language | Common/alternative name |
|---|---|
| Azerbaijani | xırdabaş gəvən |
| Azerbaijani | xırdabaşlıqlı gəvən |
| Armenian | Գազ մանրագլխիկ |
Subspecies (abbr. subsp./ssp.) Top
Add a new one! Suggest a correction!| Name | Authority | First published in |
|---|---|---|
| Astragalus microcephalus subsp. microcephalus | Unknown | |
| Astragalus microcephalus subsp. pycnocladus | (Boiss. & Hausskn.) Širj. | Repert. Spec. Nov. Regni Veg.47: 205 (1939) |
Germination/Propagation Top
Suggest a correction or add new data!
No germination or propagation data was added yet.
Distribution (via POWO/KEW) Top
Legend for the distribution data:
- Doubtful data
- Extinct
- Introduced
- Native
-
Asia-temperate click to expand
-
Caucasus
- North Caucasus
- Transcaucasus
-
Western Asia
- Iran
- Iraq
- Turkey
-
Caucasus
-
Europe click to expand
-
Southeastern Europe
- Bulgaria
-
Southeastern Europe
Links to other databases Top
Suggest others/fix!| Database | ID/link to page |
|---|---|
| World Flora Online | wfo-0000207511 |
| Tropicos | 13026393 |
| KEW | urn:lsid:ipni.org:names:478648-1 |
| Open Tree Of Life | 6096393 |
| NCBI Taxonomy | 1960787 |
| IPNI | 478648-1 |
| GBIF | 5352983 |
| USDA GRIN | 5827 |
| Wikipedia | Astragalus_microcephalus |
| PFAF | Astragalus microcephalus |
Genomes (via NCBI) Top
No reference genome is available on NCBI yet. We are constantly monitoring for new data.
Scientific Literature Top
Below are displayed the latest 15 articles published in PMC (PubMed Central®) and other sources (DOI number only)!
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Phytochemical Profile Top
Add a new one!
Below are displayed the proven (via scientific papers) natural compounds!
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| Name | PubChem ID | Canonical SMILES | MW | Found in | Proof |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| > Lipids and lipid-like molecules / Prenol lipids / Terpene glycosides / Triterpene glycosides / Triterpene saponins | |||||
| (2R,3R,4S,5S,6R)-2-[[(1S,3R,6S,8R,9S,11S,12S,14S,15R,16R)-14-hydroxy-15-[(2S,5S)-5-hydroxy-2,6,6-trimethyloxan-2-yl]-7,7,12,16-tetramethyl-6-[(2S,3R,4S,5R)-3,4,5-trihydroxyoxan-2-yl]oxy-9-pentacyclo[9.7.0.01,3.03,8.012,16]octadecanyl]oxy]-6-(hydroxymethyl)oxane-3,4,5-triol | 101942833 | Click to see CC1(C(CCC(O1)(C)C2C(CC3(C2(CCC45C3CC(C6C4(C5)CCC(C6(C)C)OC7C(C(C(CO7)O)O)O)OC8C(C(C(C(O8)CO)O)O)O)C)C)O)O)C | 785.00 | unknown | https://doi.org/10.1021/NP9704011 |
| (2R,3R,4S,5S,6R)-2-[[(1S,3R,6S,9S,11S,12S,14S,15R,16R)-6,14-dihydroxy-15-[(2R,5S)-5-(2-hydroxypropan-2-yl)-2-methyloxolan-2-yl]-7,7,12,16-tetramethyl-9-pentacyclo[9.7.0.01,3.03,8.012,16]octadecanyl]oxy]-6-(hydroxymethyl)oxane-3,4,5-triol | 100927164 | Click to see CC1(C(CCC23C1C(CC4C2(C3)CCC5(C4(CC(C5C6(CCC(O6)C(C)(C)O)C)O)C)C)OC7C(C(C(C(O7)CO)O)O)O)O)C | 652.90 | unknown | https://doi.org/10.1021/NP9801763 |
| Cycloastragenol | 13943286 | Click to see | 490.70 | unknown | https://doi.org/10.1021/NP9801763 |
| > Lipids and lipid-like molecules / Steroids and steroid derivatives / Steroidal glycosides / Steroidal saponins / Cucurbitacin glycosides | |||||
| (2R,3R,4S,5R,6R)-2-[[(1S,3R,6S,8R,9S,11S,12S,14S,15R,16R)-14-hydroxy-15-[(2R,5S)-5-(2-hydroxypropan-2-yl)-2-methyloxolan-2-yl]-7,7,12,16-tetramethyl-6-[(2S,3R,4S,5R)-3,4,5-trihydroxyoxan-2-yl]oxy-9-pentacyclo[9.7.0.01,3.03,8.012,16]octadecanyl]oxy]-6-(hydroxymethyl)oxane-3,4,5-triol | 124930706 | Click to see | 785.00 | unknown | https://doi.org/10.1021/NP9704011 |
| [(2R,3R,4S,5S)-3-acetyloxy-5-hydroxy-2-[[(1S,3R,6R,8S,9R,11S,12R,14S,15S,16R)-14-hydroxy-15-[(2R,5R)-5-(2-hydroxypropan-2-yl)-2-methyloxolan-2-yl]-7,7,12,16-tetramethyl-9-[(2R,3R,4S,5S,6R)-3,4,5-trihydroxy-6-(hydroxymethyl)oxan-2-yl]oxy-6-pentacyclo[9.7.0.01,3.03,8.012,16]octadecanyl]oxy]oxan-4-yl] acetate | 154496212 | Click to see | 869.00 | unknown | https://doi.org/10.1021/NP9801763 |
| [(2S,3R,4S,5R)-3-acetyloxy-5-hydroxy-2-[[14-hydroxy-15-[5-(2-hydroxypropan-2-yl)-2-methyloxolan-2-yl]-7,7,12,16-tetramethyl-9-[(2R,3R,4S,5S,6R)-3,4,5-trihydroxy-6-(hydroxymethyl)oxan-2-yl]oxy-6-pentacyclo[9.7.0.01,3.03,8.012,16]octadecanyl]oxy]oxan-4-yl] acetate | 11968893 | Click to see | 869.00 | unknown |
https://doi.org/10.1055/S-2006-957677 https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6270750/ https://doi.org/10.1021/NP9801763 |
| [(3R,4R,5R,6S)-4,5-dihydroxy-6-[[(1S,3R,6S,9S,11S,12S,14S,15R,16R)-14-hydroxy-15-[(2R,5S)-5-(2-hydroxypropan-2-yl)-2-methyloxolan-2-yl]-7,7,12,16-tetramethyl-9-[(2R,3R,4S,5S,6R)-3,4,5-trihydroxy-6-(hydroxymethyl)oxan-2-yl]oxy-6-pentacyclo[9.7.0.01,3.03,8.012,16]octadecanyl]oxy]oxan-3-yl] acetate | 100927166 | Click to see | 827.00 | unknown | https://doi.org/10.1021/NP9801763 |
| [3-Acetyloxy-5-hydroxy-2-[[14-hydroxy-15-[5-(2-hydroxypropan-2-yl)-2-methyloxolan-2-yl]-7,7,12,16-tetramethyl-9-[3,4,5-trihydroxy-6-(hydroxymethyl)oxan-2-yl]oxy-6-pentacyclo[9.7.0.01,3.03,8.012,16]octadecanyl]oxy]oxan-4-yl] acetate | 3715266 | Click to see | 869.00 | unknown | https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6270750/ |
| [4,5-dihydroxy-2-[[(1S,3R,6S,11S,14S,16R)-14-hydroxy-15-[(5S)-5-(2-hydroxypropan-2-yl)-2-methyloxolan-2-yl]-7,7,12,16-tetramethyl-9-[3,4,5-trihydroxy-6-(hydroxymethyl)oxan-2-yl]oxy-2-oxapentacyclo[9.7.0.01,3.03,8.012,16]octadecan-6-yl]oxy]oxan-3-yl] acetate | 369514 | Click to see | 829.00 | unknown |
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6270750/ https://doi.org/10.1021/NP9801763 |
| [4,5-Dihydroxy-2-[[14-hydroxy-15-[5-(2-hydroxypropan-2-yl)-2-methyloxolan-2-yl]-7,7,12,16-tetramethyl-9-[3,4,5-trihydroxy-6-(hydroxymethyl)oxan-2-yl]oxy-6-pentacyclo[9.7.0.01,3.03,8.012,16]octadecanyl]oxy]oxan-3-yl] acetate | 4872994 | Click to see | 827.00 | unknown | https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6270750/ |
| 2-[[(1S,3R,8R,11R,12S,15S,16R)-14-hydroxy-15-[(2R)-5-(2-hydroxypropan-2-yl)-2-methyloxolan-2-yl]-7,7,12,16-tetramethyl-6-(3,4,5-trihydroxyoxan-2-yl)oxy-9-pentacyclo[9.7.0.01,3.03,8.012,16]octadecanyl]oxy]-6-(hydroxymethyl)oxane-3,4,5-triol | 137706357 | Click to see | 785.00 | unknown | https://doi.org/10.1021/NP9704011 |
| Astragaloside II | 13996693 | Click to see | 827.00 | unknown | https://doi.org/10.1021/NP9801763 |
| Cyclocanthoside E | 21633193 | Click to see | 787.00 | unknown |
https://doi.org/10.1021/NP9704011 https://doi.org/10.1021/NP9801763 |
| > Phenylpropanoids and polyketides / Aurone flavonoids | |||||
| 6,3',4'-Trihydroxyaurone | 67111 | Click to see C1=CC(=C(C=C1C=C2C(=O)C3=C(O2)C=C(C=C3)O)O)O | 270.24 | unknown |
https://doi.org/10.1007/S10600-011-9800-0 https://doi.org/10.1007/S10600-009-9314-1 |
| Sulfuretin | 5281295 | Click to see | 270.24 | unknown |
https://doi.org/10.1007/S10600-011-9800-0 https://doi.org/10.1007/S10600-009-9314-1 |
| > Phenylpropanoids and polyketides / Flavonoids / Flavans / Flavanones | |||||
| 4',7-Dihydroxyflavanone | 1889 | Click to see | 256.25 | unknown | https://doi.org/10.1007/S10600-011-9800-0 |
| Liquiritigenin | 114829 | Click to see | 256.25 | unknown | https://doi.org/10.1007/S10600-011-9800-0 |
| > Phenylpropanoids and polyketides / Flavonoids / Flavones | |||||
| 7-Hydroxyflavone | 5281894 | Click to see | 238.24 | unknown | https://doi.org/10.1007/S10600-011-9800-0 |
| > Phenylpropanoids and polyketides / Isoflavonoids / O-methylated isoflavonoids / 4-O-methylated isoflavonoids / 3-hydroxy,4-methoxyisoflavonoids | |||||
| Calycosin | 5280448 | Click to see | 284.26 | unknown | https://doi.org/10.1007/S10600-011-9800-0 |
Collections Top
| In private collections | 0 |
| In public collections | 0 |