Babool (Acacia nilotica)

The importance of Acacia plants in animal nutrition and in the prevention and treatment of human and animal diseases has been recognized for centuries. Babool extract, obtained from Acacia nilotica (also known as gum Arabica tree), is very rich in secondary metabolites such as tannins, flavonoids, alkaloids, terpenes, fatty acids, etc. These compounds exert antioxidative, anti-inflammatory, anthelmintic, antidiarrheal, antispasmodic, antihypertensive, antibacterial, antifungal, antidiabetic, antiplatelet aggregatory, antiplasmodial, antimutagenic, anticancer, acetylcholinesterase-inhibiting, diuretic, antipyretic, analgesic, and many other effects. This chapter describes various aspects of babool with special emphasis on its nutritional value and applications in prevention and treatment of diseases in animals.