Description

Astragalus gummifer, a thorny, mat-forming shrub of the family Fabaceae, is native to the mountainous semi-arid regions of Iran, Turkey, and Afghanistan, from which the oleo-gum-resin tragacanth is obtained by making incisions into the root. Tragacanth is one of the most ancient plant gums traded in world commerce, referenced in the Ebers Papyrus of Egypt and in Greek botanical texts. In Unani medicine, it is known as Kateera or Gond Katira and has been documented in classical formulations as a cooling, demulcent substance incorporated in preparations for gastric ulceration, urinary soothing, and skin applications. The gum swells dramatically in water, forming a translucent gel. In Indian Unani and folk traditions, Kateera is commonly mixed with rose water and consumed as a cooling summer drink during the hot season.