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Commiphora wightii
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<h2 id="description">Description</h2> <p><i>Commiphora wightii</i> grows as a <a href="/facts/Shrub/X1gKVxL5">shrub</a> or small <a href="/facts/Tree/HVVn3srN">tree</a>, reaching a maximum height of 4 m (13 ft), with thin papery <a href="/facts/Bark_(botany)/vdL49ec1">bark</a>.<a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:6" href="#fn:6"><sup>6</sup></a> The branches are <a href="/facts/Spine_(botany)/gS6HPTqb">thorny</a>. The <a href="/facts/Leaf/1m6wCNTg">leaves</a> are simple or trifoliate, the leaflets ovate, 1–5 cm (0.39–1.97 in) long, 0.5–2.5 cm (0.20–0.98 in) broad, and irregularly toothed. It is <a href="/facts/Plant_sexuality/Up20kQT3">gynodioecious</a>, with some plants bearing bisexual and male <a href="/facts/Flower/7gI5Kefw">flowers</a>, and others with female flowers. The individual flowers are red to pink, with four small petals. The small round fruit are red when ripe. </p> <h2 id="cultivation-and-uses">Cultivation and uses</h2> <p><i>Commiphora wightii</i> is sought for its gummy <a href="/facts/Resin/r1uVThQ8">resin</a>, which is harvested from the plant's bark through the process of <a href="/facts/Rubber_tapping/qtb7o32b">tapping</a>. In <a href="/facts/India/1kKHcnxM">India</a> and <a href="/facts/Pakistan/cbIsvJy1">Pakistan</a>, guggul is cultivated commercially. The resin of <i>C. wightii</i>, known as <i>gum guggulu</i>, has a <a href="/facts/Fragrance/h3MF95yb">fragrance</a> nearly identical to <a href="/facts/Myrrh/QLTBxGjc">myrrh</a>, (which is a close relative the bdellium tree), and also closely resembles fragrance of the Opopanax resin (from the Commiphora Erythrea or Commiphora Guidottii trees, also closely related to Indian Bdellium). It is the same product that was known in <a href="/facts/Hebrew_language/hqKCSy9d">Hebrew</a>, <a href="/facts/Ancient_Greek_language/LIK7NlUh">ancient Greek</a> and <a href="/facts/Latin_language/pM3Kge85">Latin</a> sources as <a href="/facts/Bdellium/CY4UW01w">bdellium</a>, commonly used in incense and perfumes for centuries. </p><p>Guggul is also used in <a href="/facts/Ayurveda/XCgFAdb3">Ayurveda</a> remedies and it is mentioned in Ayurvedic texts dating back to 600 BC.<a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:7" href="#fn:7"><sup>7</sup></a> It is often sold as a herbal supplement. </p><p>The gum can be purchased in a loosely packed form called <i>dhoop</i>, an <a href="/facts/Incense_of_India/3nfX9Ekc">incense from India</a>, which is burned over hot coals. This produces a fragrant, dense smoke.<a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:8" href="#fn:8"><sup>8</sup></a> It is also sold in the form of incense sticks and dhoop cones which can be burned directly. </p> <h2 id="chemical-composition">Chemical composition</h2> <p>Over a hundred <a href="/facts/Metabolite/nAyywVtA">metabolites</a> of various chemical compositions were reported from the leaves, stem, latex, root and fruit samples. High concentrations of <a href="/facts/Quinic_acid/lreVQUBw">quinic acid</a> and <a href="/facts/Myo-inositol/FVon023Q">myo-inositol</a> were found in fruits and leaves.<a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:9" href="#fn:9"><sup>9</sup></a> </p> <h2 id="traditional-medicinal-use">Traditional medicinal use</h2> <p><i>Commiphora wightii</i> has been a key component in ancient Indian <a href="/facts/Ayurvedic/XCgFAdb3">Ayurvedic</a> system of medicine. </p> <p>The extract of gum guggul, called gugulipid, guggulipid, or guglipid, has been used in <a href="/facts/Unani/Yga8UQjH">Unani</a> and <a href="/facts/Ayurvedic/XCgFAdb3">Ayurvedic</a> medicine, for nearly 3,000 years in India.<a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:10" href="#fn:10"><sup>10</sup></a><a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:11" href="#fn:11"><sup>11</sup></a> One chemical ingredient in the extract is the steroid <a href="/facts/Guggulsterone/eBEklErK">guggulsterone</a>,<a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:12" href="#fn:12"><sup>12</sup></a> which acts as an <a href="/facts/Receptor_antagonist/PuXHVNdV">antagonist</a> of the <a href="/facts/Farnesoid_X_receptor/CH3BnwtW">farnesoid X receptor</a>, once believed to result in decreased <a href="/facts/Cholesterol/TnfPlYc1">cholesterol</a> synthesis in the <a href="/facts/Liver/Rtp4Fk2b">liver</a>. However, several studies have been published that indicate no overall reduction in total cholesterol occurs using various dosages of guggulsterone and levels of <a href="/facts/Low-density_lipoprotein/R5VLPxAg">low-density lipoprotein</a> ("bad cholesterol") increased in many people.<a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:13" href="#fn:13"><sup>13</sup></a><a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:14" href="#fn:14"><sup>14</sup></a> </p> <h2 id="endangerment-and-rescue">Endangerment and rescue</h2> <p>Because of its use in traditional medicine, <i>C. wightii</i> has been overharvested, and has become so scarce in its two habitats in India—<a href="/facts/Gujarat/HwmVfMwr">Gujarat</a> and <a href="/facts/Rajasthan/rC0MvrRD">Rajasthan</a>—that the <a href="/facts/World_Conservation_Union/QwV8JXup">World Conservation Union</a> (IUCN) has enlisted it in its <a href="/facts/IUCN_Red_List/8gemqCLu">IUCN Red List</a> of threatened species.<a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:15" href="#fn:15"><sup>15</sup></a> Several efforts are in place to address this situation. India's National Medicinal Plants Board launched a project in <a href="/facts/Kutch_District/Vx4Bh8MA">Kutch District</a> to cultivate 500 to 800 hectares (1,200 to 2,000 acres) of guggal,<a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:16" href="#fn:16"><sup>16</sup></a> while a <a href="/facts/Grass-roots/GMw7sKCr">grass-roots</a> conservation movement, led by IUCN associate <a href="/facts/Vineet_Soni/co1ttWpt">Vineet Soni</a>, has been started to educate guggal growers and harvesters in safe, sustainable harvesting methods.<a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:17" href="#fn:17"><sup>17</sup></a><a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:18" href="#fn:18"><sup>18</sup></a> </p> <h2 id="external-links">External links</h2> Wikimedia Commons has media related to Commiphora wightii. <ul><li>Bjerklie, David (August 25, 2003). <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20080408131305/http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,1005507,00.html">"What's Gugul Good For?"</a>. <i><a href="/facts/Time_(magazine)/N4FXc99l">Time</a></i>.</li></ul> <p><a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20070929154622/http://envis.frlht.org.in/botanical_search.php?txtbtname=comm&gesp=625%7CCommiphora+wightii+%28A.%29+BHANDARI">Medicinal Plants of Conservation Concern: <i>Commiphora wightii</i></a> </p> <ul><li>Caldecott, Todd (2006). <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20110524054515/http://www.toddcaldecott.com/index.php/herbs/learning-herbs/363-guggulu"><i>Ayurveda: The Divine Science of Life</i></a>. Elsevier/Mosby. <a href="/facts/ISBN_(identifier)/15AdSPa9">ISBN</a> 978-0-7234-3410-8. Archived from <a href="http://www.toddcaldecott.com/index.php/herbs/learning-herbs/363-guggulu">the original</a> on 2011-05-24. Retrieved 2011-01-15. Contains a detailed monograph on <i>Commiphora mukul</i> (Guggulu) as well as a discussion of purported health benefits and usage in clinical practice.</li> <li>Dalby, Andrew (2003). <i>Food in the ancient world from A to Z</i>. London, New York: Routledge. <a href="/facts/ISBN_(identifier)/15AdSPa9">ISBN</a> 978-0-415-23259-3., pp. 226–227</li></ul> <h2 id="references">References</h2> <ol> <li id="fn:1"><p>"Commiphora wightii". Germplasm Resources Information Network. Agricultural Research Service, United States Department of Agriculture. Retrieved 13 September 2014. <a href="https://npgsweb.ars-grin.gov/gringlobal/taxonomydetail.aspx?id=406462" target="_blank">https://npgsweb.ars-grin.gov/gringlobal/taxonomydetail.aspx?id=406462</a> <a href="#fnref:1" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></p></li> <li id="fn:2"><p>Sultanul Abedin & S.I. Ali. "Commiphora wightii". Flora of Pakistan. Vol. 26. <a href="http://www.efloras.org/florataxon.aspx?flora_id=5&taxon_id=250063169" target="_blank">http://www.efloras.org/florataxon.aspx?flora_id=5&taxon_id=250063169</a> <a href="#fnref:2" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></p></li> <li id="fn:3"><p>"Commiphora wightii". Germplasm Resources Information Network. Agricultural Research Service, United States Department of Agriculture. Retrieved 13 September 2014. <a href="https://npgsweb.ars-grin.gov/gringlobal/taxonomydetail.aspx?id=406462" target="_blank">https://npgsweb.ars-grin.gov/gringlobal/taxonomydetail.aspx?id=406462</a> <a href="#fnref:3" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></p></li> <li id="fn:4"><p>"Commiphora wightii". Germplasm Resources Information Network. Agricultural Research Service, United States Department of Agriculture. Retrieved 13 September 2014. <a href="https://npgsweb.ars-grin.gov/gringlobal/taxonomydetail.aspx?id=406462" target="_blank">https://npgsweb.ars-grin.gov/gringlobal/taxonomydetail.aspx?id=406462</a> <a href="#fnref:4" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></p></li> <li id="fn:5"><p>Ved, D.; Saha, D.; Ravikumar, K.; Haridasan, K. (2015). "Commiphora wightii". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. 2015: e.T31231A50131117. doi:10.2305/IUCN.UK.2015-2.RLTS.T31231A50131117.en. Retrieved 19 November 2021. <a href="https://www.iucnredlist.org/species/31231/50131117" target="_blank">https://www.iucnredlist.org/species/31231/50131117</a> <a href="#fnref:5" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></p></li> <li id="fn:6"><p>Sultanul Abedin & S.I. Ali. "Commiphora wightii". Flora of Pakistan. Vol. 26. <a href="http://www.efloras.org/florataxon.aspx?flora_id=5&taxon_id=250063169" target="_blank">http://www.efloras.org/florataxon.aspx?flora_id=5&taxon_id=250063169</a> <a href="#fnref:6" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></p></li> <li id="fn:7"><p>"Guggul: Uses, Side Effects, Interactions, Dosage, and Warning". Web MD. <a href="https://www.webmd.com/vitamins/ai/ingredientmono-591/guggul" target="_blank">https://www.webmd.com/vitamins/ai/ingredientmono-591/guggul</a> <a href="#fnref:7" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></p></li> <li id="fn:8"><p>"Guggul (Indian Bedellium)". <a href="https://mangalorespice.com/products/guggul-indian-bedellium" target="_blank">https://mangalorespice.com/products/guggul-indian-bedellium</a> <a href="#fnref:8" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></p></li> <li id="fn:9"><p>Bhatia, Anil; Bharti, Santosh K.; Tripathi, Tusha; Mishra, Anuradha; Sidhu, Om P.; Roy, Raja; Nautiyal, Chandra Shekhar (1 February 2015). "Metabolic profiling of Commiphora wightii (guggul) reveals a potential source for pharmaceuticals and nutraceuticals". Phytochemistry. 110: 29–36. doi:10.1016/j.phytochem.2014.12.016. PMID 25561401. <a href="/wiki/Doi_(identifier)" target="_blank">/wiki/Doi_(identifier)</a> <a href="#fnref:9" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></p></li> <li id="fn:10"><p>Indian herb can reduce cholesterol Archived 2008-02-03 at the Wayback Machine, BBC NEWS, 2 May 2002 <a href="http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/health/1963645.stm" target="_blank">http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/health/1963645.stm</a> <a href="#fnref:10" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></p></li> <li id="fn:11"><p>Mohan, Mohind C.; Abhimannue, Anu P.; Kumar, B.Prakash (January 2019). "Modulation of proinflammatory cytokines and enzymes by polyherbal formulation Guggulutiktaka ghritam". Journal of Ayurveda and Integrative Medicine. 12 (1): 13–19. doi:10.1016/j.jaim.2018.05.007. PMC 8039337. PMID 30638916. <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC8039337" target="_blank">https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC8039337</a> <a href="#fnref:11" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></p></li> <li id="fn:12"><p>Murray (2012). Joseph E. Pizzorno Jr.; Michael T. (eds.). Textbook of natural medicine (4th ed.). Edinburgh: Churchill Livingstone. p. 691. ISBN 9781437723335. <a href="9781437723335" target="_blank">9781437723335</a> <a href="#fnref:12" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></p></li> <li id="fn:13"><p>Szapary, PO; Wolfe, ML; Bloedon, LT; Cucchiara, AJ; Dermarderosian, AH; Cirigliano, MD; Rader, DJ (2003). "Guggulipid Ineffective for Lowering Cholesterol". JAMA. 290 (6): 765–772. doi:10.1001/jama.290.6.765. PMID 12915429. <a href="/wiki/Doi_(identifier)" target="_blank">/wiki/Doi_(identifier)</a> <a href="#fnref:13" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></p></li> <li id="fn:14"><p>Sahni, S; Hepfinger, CA; Sauer, KA (2005). "Guggulipid Use in Hyperlipidemia". Am J Health-Syst Pharm. 62 (16): 1690–1692. doi:10.2146/ajhp040580. PMID 16085931. <a href="/wiki/Doi_(identifier)" target="_blank">/wiki/Doi_(identifier)</a> <a href="#fnref:14" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></p></li> <li id="fn:15"><p>Ved, D.; Saha, D.; Ravikumar, K.; Haridasan, K. (2015). "Commiphora wightii". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. 2015: e.T31231A50131117. doi:10.2305/IUCN.UK.2015-2.RLTS.T31231A50131117.en. Retrieved 19 November 2021. <a href="https://www.iucnredlist.org/species/31231/50131117" target="_blank">https://www.iucnredlist.org/species/31231/50131117</a> <a href="#fnref:15" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></p></li> <li id="fn:16"><p>Maheshwari, D V (8 January 2008). "Kutch to house Centre's Rs 8-cr Guggal conservation project". The Indian Express. Archived from the original on 9 October 2008. Retrieved 9 January 2008. <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20081009121656/http://www.expressindia.com/latest-news/Kutch-to-house-Centres-Rs-8cr-Guggal-conservation-project/259012/" target="_blank">https://web.archive.org/web/20081009121656/http://www.expressindia.com/latest-news/Kutch-to-house-Centres-Rs-8cr-Guggal-conservation-project/259012/</a> <a href="#fnref:16" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></p></li> <li id="fn:17"><p>Paliwal, Ankur (31 July 2010). "Guggal faces sticky end". Down to Earth: Science and Environment Online. Archived from the original on 10 January 2012. Retrieved 12 January 2012. <a href="http://www.downtoearth.org.in/node/1538" target="_blank">http://www.downtoearth.org.in/node/1538</a> <a href="#fnref:17" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></p></li> <li id="fn:18"><p>"Education and Awareness in the 'Save Guggul Movement'". IUCN News. 31 July 2010. Archived from the original on 21 December 2011. Retrieved 12 January 2012. <a href="http://www.iucn.org/news_homepage/news_by_date/2010_news/july_2010/?5797/cec-save-guggul-movement" target="_blank">http://www.iucn.org/news_homepage/news_by_date/2010_news/july_2010/?5797/cec-save-guggul-movement</a> <a href="#fnref:18" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></p></li> </ol>