COMMIPHORA WIGHTII.

Common name: Common name: Indian bdellium, Hindi / Sanskrit: गुग्गुल, Telugu: గుగ్గులు, Malayalam: ഗുൽഗുലു, Sanskrit: Pura, Mahisaksha, Kaushika, Palankasa, Assamese / Gujarati: Guggul, Urdu: Muqil (Shiahappu), Tamil: Erumaikan, Kungiliyam

Botanical name: Commiphora stocksiana   

Family: Burseraceae (Torchwood family)

Synonyms: Balsamea stocksiana, Balsamodendron pubescens

Introduction: Mitha Guggal is a shrub or a small tree, up to 4 m tall. Branches are covered with papery bark and young shoots are velvety. Alternately arranged leaves, carried on 1-1.5 cm long stalks, are 3-5 foliolate, velvety. Lateral leaflets are oblong, round or obovate, entire, 0.5-1.3 cm long, 0.3-1 cm broad. Central leaflet is stalked, 0.5-1.5 cm long, 0.5-1 cm broad, obovate, oval or broadly elliptic, entire. Hermaphrodite and male flowers are present on the same plant, stalkless, white to red, 3-5 mm long. Bracts are 2, opposite. Sepals are 4, fused into a 4-lobed tube, lobes valvate, l-2 mm long, velvety outside. Petals are 4 free, spreading, acute, 3-5 mm long, 1-1.5 mm broad. Stamens are 8, free, equal, usually shorter than the petals, 3-5 mm long. Fruit is 0.5-l.5 cm long, red when ripe, marked with 4, alternately short and long white lines, round, mucronate, mesocarp yellow, 4 lined, fused at the base on one side and up to the middle (or more) on the other side, splittingg along the white lines from base upwards.

Chemical constituents:

The gum resin contains guggul sterons Z and E, guggul sterols I-V, two diterpenoids- a terpene hydrocarbon named cembreneA and a diterpene alcohol- mukulol, a-camphrone and cembrene, long chain aliphatic tetrols- octadecan-1,2,3,4-tetrol, eicosan-1,2,3,4-tetrol and nonadecan-1,2,3,4-tetrol. Major components from essential oil of gum resin are myrcene and dimyrcene. Plant without leaves, flowers and fruits contains myricyl alcohol, b-sitosterol and fifteen aminoacids. Flowers contain quercetin and its glycosides as major flavonoid components, other constituents being ellagic acid and pelargonidin glucoside.

Resin contains steroids (called guggulsterones) that lower blood cholesterol and triglycerides via stimulation of thyroid function.

Medicinal uses: Alterative,  Analgesic,  Antiaging,  Antiaggregant,  Antiarthritic,  Antiatherosclerotic,  Antiedemic,  Antiinflammatory,  Antiobesity,  Antioxidant,  Antiseptic,  Antispasmodic,  Antisuppurative,  Antithrombic,  Aperitif,  Aphrodisiac,  Astringent,  Bitter,  Cardioprotective,  Carminative,  Demulcent,  Diaphoretic,  Digestive,  Diuretic,  Ecbolic,  Emmenagogue,  Expectorant,  Fibrinolytic,  Hypocholesterolemic,  Hypoglycemic,  Hypolipidemic,  Hypotriglyceridemic,  Immunostimulant,  Leucocytogenic,  Lipolytic,  Mucolytic,  Phagocytotic,  Thyrotropic,  Uterotonic,  Vermifuge.

Siddha uses: Kilvayu, Kuttam, Uaal vali, viranam.

Unani uses: Bawaseer Amya, Qabz, Nafkh-e-Shikam, Waj-ul-Mafasil, Waram-e-Mafasil.

 Flowering: April-July