Gum trgacanth has been in commercial used thousandes of years in Iran . tragacanth comes form the Asteragalus tree it is one of the largest genera of flowering with aproximately 500 Defrent species in Iran. Gum tragacanth exudes naturally from july to september either From wounds cut into the shrub, or from spontaneous fissures. It usually assumes the form of tortuous bands of a parchment-like appearance. Sometimes it exudes in large tears, which have more or less the vermicular form, it then has a reddish color, and is lees pure, which can be powdered. The gum is white, translucent and clean,if it be damp with but moderate heat, the gum requires a langer time to dry, and assumes a yellow tinge. when packed for exportation, the large, white, flaky or leaf gum is picked out, and the residue is sifted through a coarse sieve. What remains upon the sieve is common or sorts gum. The primary source of gum tragacanth is the desert highlands of northern and western Iran. Particularly the Zagros mountains region in Iran (Kurdestan) the gum is harvested seasonally by making an incision on the upper part of the taproot and collecting the exuding gum. the ribbons of gum are brought to trade centers for processing exportation