Commiphora wightii

Commiphora wightii
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Plantae
Division:	Magnoliophyta
Class:	Magnoliopsida
Order:	Sapindales
Family:	Burseraceae
Genus:	Commiphora
Species:	C. wightii
Binomial name
Commiphora wightii (Arn.) Bhandari
Synonyms
Commiphora mukul (Stocks) Hook.

Commiphora wightii (Guggal, Guggul or Mukul myrrh tree) is a flowering plant in the family Burseraceae. The guggul plant may be found from northern Africa to central Asia, but is most common in northern India. It prefers arid and semi-arid climates and is tolerant of poor soil.

It is a shrub or small tree, reaching a maximum height of 4 m, with thin papery bark. The branches are thorny. The leaves are simple or trifoliate, the leaflets ovate, 1-5 cm long, 0.5-2.5 cm broad, irregularly toothed. It is gynodioecious, with some plants bearing bisexual and male flowers, and others with female flowers. The individual flowers are red to pink, with four small petals.

Guggal has been a key component in ancient Indian Ayurvedic system of medicine, and now is widely used in modern medicine for treatment of heart ailments. But Guggal (Commiphora weghtii), as it is locally known, has become so scarce because of its overuse in its two habitats in India where its is found — Gujarat and Rajasthan that the World Conservation Union (IUCN) has enlisted it in its Red Data List of endangered species.

Resin or sap extract from this small Indian mukul myrrh tree or shrub found across Arabia and India can help to reduce cholesterol, scientists have discovered. The extract, called gugulipid, guggulipid or guglipid, comes from the guggal or guggul tree and has been used in Ayurvedic medicine, a traditional Hindu medicine, for nearly 3,000 years in India.

It received regulatory approval in India in 1987 and is used to treat a range of conditions including obesity and lipid disorders. It is used to battle obesity, arthritis and artery disease, and is now approved for lowering cholesterol.

Till late there has been little support for its use in conventional medicine. But scientists in the US have found evidence to back giving it to patients with high cholesterol.

Cultivation and uses

Guggul is sought for its gummy resin, which is harvested from the plant's bark through the process of tapping. In India and Pakistan, guggul is cultivated commercially. The resin of the guggul plant, known as gum guggulu, has a fragrance similar to myrrh and is commonly used in incense and perfumes. It is the same product that was known in Hebrew, ancient Greek and Latin sources as bdellium.

Dietary supplement

Guggul gum has been employed as a traditional remedy in the practice of Ayurvedic medicine. Purported benefits of guggul gum included relief from epilepsy, ulcers, obesity, and rheumatoid arthritis.

Guggulsterone, a compound found in guggul gum, is believed to exert influence on the production of cholesterol in humans. Recently, nutritional supplements containing extracts of guggul gum have become popular in many Western countries.

This popularity was spurred by the publication of small scientific studies in which regular guggulsterone supplementation appeared to lower cholesterol levels in test subjects with hyperlipidemia. However, a larger study conducted later failed to replicate the positive results reached in the initial studies. [1] Other largely unverified claims for supplements containing guggulsterone include weight loss benefits and alleviation of acne.

Guggulipid

Guggulipid, gugulipid or guglipid is the extract extracted from the sap or resin of Guggal tree The mukul myrrh tree (Commiphora mukul) secretes a resinous material called gum guggul.

Gugulipid is the purified standardized extract of crude gum guggul (oleoresin). The active components of gugulipid are Z-guggulsterone and E-guggulsterone.

Gugulu is used as ayurveda drug for hypertension, and elevated level of cholesterol and fatty acids.

New research shows possible connection with influence on endocrine system.

Guggul Dhoop

Guggul can be purchased in a loosely packed form called Dhoop, an incense from India, which is then burned over hot coals. This produces a fragrant dense smoke. The burning coals which produces the smoke is carried around in different rooms and held in all the corners of the room for a few seconds. This is said to drive away evil spirits as well as remove the evil eye from the home and its family members.

References

• Kutch to house Centre’s Rs 8-cr Guggal conservation project, D V MAHESHWARI, Indian Express Newspapers, Tuesday , January 08, 2008
• Indian herb can reduce cholesterol, Health, BBC NEWS, Thursday, 2 May, 2002
• `US study results on Gugulipid premature', Vinson Kurian, Variety - Health, The Hindu Business Line, Thiruvananthapuram , Sunday, Aug 24, 2003
• “Guggal” description from Herbs’n’Cures, Botanical Name: Commiphora wightii, Common Name: Guggal, Family: Burseraceae, Part-Used: Olio gum resin
• Ancient Indian remedy 'lowers cholesterol', May 3, 2002, CNN
• What's Gugul Good For? By DAVID BJERKLIE, Time Magazine; Monday, Aug. 25, 2003
• Gugulipid: Controlling Cholesterol Naturally, by Dena Nishek, 2003-08-01

External links

• Flora of Pakistan: Commiphora wightii
• Germplasm Resources Information Network: Commiphora wightii
• Medicinal Plants of Conservation Concern: Commiphora wightii

Bibliography

• Template:Harvard reference, pp. 226-227

See also

• Guggulsterone, a compound found in guggul gum