Commiphora wightii

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" | Commiphora wightii
Commiphora wightii resin (guggul)
Conservation status
" | Scientific classification
Phylum: TRACHEOPHYTA
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.In Indian languages, it is known by various names like guggul in Hindi, gukkulu and maishakshi in Tamil, guggulu in Sanskrit and Indian bdellium in English.

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.

The use of plants in the treatment of diseases occupies an important place in Ayurveda, the traditional medicine of India. The Atharva Veda, one of the four well-known Holy Scriptures (Vedas) of the Hindus, is the earliest reference to the medicinal and therapeutic properties of guggul. The plant Commiphora wightii provides oleo gum resin mentioned by Sushruta (3000 year ago) as being a valuable drug. The oleo gum resin commonly known as “gum guggul” or “Indian myrrh” is the economically important product of Indian bdellium. The oleo gum is collected as exudates from woody stem.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.

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.[citation needed]

Contents

[edit] 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.

[edit] Guggulipid

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

[edit] 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 drives away mosquitoes, especially from the dark corners. Some believe it to thus drive away evil spirits as well as remove the evil eye from the home and its family members.

[edit] Guggul Conservation

Unfortunately the plant Commiphora wightii has become endangered because of its slow growing nature, poor seed setting, lack of cultivation, poor seed germination rate and excessive and unscientific tapping for its gum resin by the pharmaceutical industries and religious purposes.Efforts have been made to conserve this valuable plant species. Dr. Vineet Soni is working from last 9 years to save guggul plants through biotechnological and community based conservation. His "Save Guggul Movement" in Rajasthan state receiving warm appriciation from rural and tirbal peoples of Rajasthan. He is running a series of awareness programs in various parts of Rajasthan to make people aware about the importance and conservation of guggul plants. Government of India has banned the export of the species. Some efforts have also been done to develop a protocol for propagation of guggul plants using plant tissue culture technique.


[edit] References

[edit] External links

[edit] Bibliography

  • Dalby, Andrew (2003), written at London, New York, Food in the ancient world from A to Z, Routledge, ISBN 0415232597, pp. 226–227

[edit] See also

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