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Journal Of Drug Delivery and Therapeutics
Open Access to Pharmaceutical and Medical Research
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Open Access Full Text Article Review Article
Medicinal benefits and scientific justification of Commiphora mukul (Muqil): A review
Shabir Ahmad Bhat*1, Shameem Ahmad Rather2
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Article Info: _____________________________________________ Article History: Received 07 Dec 2020; Review Completed 23 Jan 2021 Accepted 29 Jan 2021; Available Online 15 Feb 2021 _____________________________________________ Cite This Article As: Bhat SA, Rather SA, Medicinal Benefits and Scientific Justification of Commiphora mukul (Muqil): A Review, Journal Of Drug Delivery And Therapeutics. 2021; 11(1-S):170-172 |
Abstract ____________________________________________________________________________________________________ Commiphora mukul (Muqil or Guggul), oleo-gum, has been in use for thousands of years as a medicine in Unani and Ayurvedic medicinal systems. It was primarily used for swellings, inflammation, piles, arthritis and urinary disorders. Among its various types Muqil-I-Arzaq, a gum, having reddish hue is considered to be the best form of Muqil for medicinal purposes. It has been revealed to inhibit the nuclear factor-kb, a regulator of inflammatory response, and act as a potent antagonist to the receptors of androgens, mineralocorticoides, and glucocorticoides. Muqil is a versatile herb with diverse medicinal benefits which demand scientific validation. A coherent review of properties, medicinal benefits, traditional uses and scientific studies of Muqil, along with the overall processes involved from collection to consumption is judiciously described in this paper. The aim of this review is to provide a base for multiple research works, validating Commiphora mukul in different chronic ailments. keywords: Commiphora mukul, Inflammation, Muqil, Nuclear factor-KB, Unani |
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*Address for Correspondence: Shabir Ahmad Bhat, MD Scholar, Department of Moalajat, Regional Research Institute of Unani Medicine, Naseem Bagh, University of Kashmir, Srinagar, Jammu &Kashmir, India. |
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Introduction
Commiphora mukul (Muqil in Arab) is oleo gum of a small tree, which mostly grows in Arab countries. The plant is commercially cultivated in India and Pakistan. It is widely used as medicine for different diseases in Unani and Ayurvedic system of medicines. It is of many types, Muqil-i-Arzaq, Muqilul yahūd, Muqil-i-Saqalbi and Muqil-i-Makki. Except the last one which is a fruit, all other types are gum (Gond). Among all these types Muqil-i-Arzaq, having reddish hue, is considered to be the best form of Muqil. It dissolves in water easily and its life span is about 20 years.1 Because of its over harvesting in India, world conservation union has kept it in red list of threatened species.2 In Greco-Arab (Unani) medicinal system muqil is one of the versatile medicinal herb having wide range of properties. Some of which have been scientifically evaluated, yet much of them are still under curtains.
Taxonomical classification and nomenclature3,4,5
Kingdom: Plantae
Order: Spindales
Family: Burseraceae
Genus: Commiphora
Botanical name: Commiphora mukul
Synonym: Commiphora wightii, Balsamodendron mukul
Vernacular names1,3,4,5
English: Indian bdellium, Gum Guggul
Arabic: Muqil, Qafr
Persian: Bu-i-jahudān
Greek: Madīqūn, Aflatin, Fadīlūn
Roman: Bazaliūn
Hindi: Guggul
Sanskrit: Devadhupa, Kaushika
Bengali: Gugal, Gugu
Gujarati: Gugali, Gugar
Tamil: Erumaikan, Kungiliyam
General description
Macroscopic description
Muqil tree grows up to 4 m tall, densely branched, having simple or trifoliate leaves, with serrated margins. The plant has separate male and female flowers, so that it reproduces sexually. The colour of flowers vary from pink to red, stamens are alternatively long and short, with ovoid ovary. Fruit of the plant is small, rounded and red in colour when ripe. Gummy resin obtained from the stem of this plant is used as a traditional medicine for centuries. Veds have mentioned its five types, all of which are bitter in taste with a balsamic odour.3,6
Image 1. Muqil tree Image 2. Muqil oleo-gum
Microscopic description
Leaflets are mesomorphic, with prominent midrib. This midrib has two types of vascular bundles, medial one is larger and adaxial bundle is smaller. Lamina has single layer of epidermal cells, while as mesophyll is differentiated into single layer of palisade cells and aerenchymatous parenchyma cells. Gum-resin contains essential oils, steroids, alcohol and aliphatic triols.6,7
Habitat
Italy, Yemen, Oman, India.1 In India it is found in Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, Andhra Pradesh, Assam and Karnataka.4
Period of occurrence
Plant of Muqil is perennial. Seeds can be sown in March –April and vegetative propagation can be performed throughout the year except in winter.6
Procedure and time of collection
The bark of the plant is tapped in the month of November to January and then the oleo-gum is obtained from the month of January to March after it is solidified.6
Method of processing
Good quality Muqil, cleaned from dirt and dust, is put in water in which it gets dissolved and the un-dissolved matter is sieved out.7
Pharmacognosy
The plant is gynodioecious with separate male and female flowers. Oleo-gum used as medicine is somewhat reddish yellow in colour, and was mainly used for swellings and inflammations both internally and externally. After finding a number of useful constituents in it, oleo-gum is now widely accepted to be effective in number of other diseases as well.7,9
Chemical constituents
Muqil resin contains many steroids, guggulsterones Z and E, guggulsterols I-V, diterpenoides4,9 and essential oils, myrecene, dimyrecene and polymyrecene.5Another constituent isolated from oleo-gum is called mukulol (allylcembrol).
Temperament (Mizāj)
Hot and Dry in second degree1
Actions
According to Avicenna Muqil is anti-inflammatory, and resolvant. It resolves all types of cold and hard swellings, both internal and external.10 It is a laxative, concoctive (Mundij) and purgative (Mushil) of phlegm (Balgham). However its laxative power decrease when it is old, but its property to dry up the body fluids (Mujaffif) increase.11 It is diuretic (Mudirr-i-Bawl), lithotriptic (Mufattat-i-Hasāh), aphrodisiac (Muqawwī-i-Bāh), emmenagogue (Mudirr-i-Hayd), lactogogue (Mudirr-i-Laban), abortifacient (Māni‘al-Haml), deobstruent (Mufattih-i-Sudad), expectorant (Mukhrij-i-Balgham), detergent (Jālī), emollient (Murakhkhi), heat producer (Musakhkhin), carminative (Kāsir-i-Riyāh), and antihelminthic (Qātil-i-Kiram-i-Shikam).1,5,8,10,11,12
Therapeutic uses
Muqil is used in urinary discharges, urinary concretions, tumors, inflammations, tubercular glands in the neck, ascites, asthma, respiratory disorders, gastro intestinal disorders, indigestion, flatulence etc. It helps to remove the bad humors from the body and is effective in different phlegmatic (Balghamī) disorders like obesity, hyperlipidemia, and hypercholesterolemia (WHO). Muqil is also used in rheumatoid arthritis, osteoarthritis, sciatica, gout, paralysis, tremors, piles, loss of libido, nervous diseases, and skin diseases.3 Galen has mentioned it effective in crushing the urinary stones, passing urine properly, removing flatus, and relieving muscular pain. Its smoke opens the uterine os during delivery and eases the process of parturition. Razi’s has mentioned it useful for plague. Muqil resolves solid swelling (Jamid Waram). It is useful in intestinal ulcers, and resolves the hard swelling of testis, ovaries etc. Eating Muqil is useful in bronchitis, chronic cough, hemorrhoids and cleans up the uterus. It removes the obstructions of kidneys and urinary bladder. Muqil is also used externally in swellings, inflammations, wounds, non healing ulcers, scrofulous, alopecia, scar marks and blemishes of the skin.5 Also useful in hernia, hydrocoele, ring worm, piles, warts, and proctitis, when used externally.1
Dosage
3.5 g 1
4.5g 13
Up to 9 g5
2-4 g (API VOL.I) 4
0.5-1 g (CCRAS) 4
Adverse effects (Muzarrat)
Over dose of Muqil is harmful to liver and lungs.14,15
Corrective (Muslih)
Saffron (Zafran) for liver and tragacanth gum (Katīra) for lungs.10
Substitute (Badal)
2/3 Murmakki, ¼ Sibr, Alakul Batam and ½ Kundur Behrī are its substitutes.14
Ethnobotany
Muqil or Guggul oleo-gum has been used for thousands of years (nearly 3000 years) as a medicine in Unani and Ayurvedic systems. It was primarily used for swellings, inflammations, piles, arthritis and urinary disorders. Nowadays it is found highly effective in various diseases including, obesity, and hyperlipidaemia. As a mythical belief its smoke is used traditionally in India by Hindus to expel the evil spirits from the houses.2,3
Important Unani formulations
Habb-i-Muqil, Itrifal-i-Muqil, Habb-i-Jogrājgogal, Majoon-i-Jogrājgogal etc.15
Scientific reports
» Commiphora mukul has been proven scientifically to be effective in hyperlipidaemia, hypercholesterolemia, obesity and arthritis (WHO).16
» Studies have revealed that Muqil act as a potent antagonist to the receptors of androgens, mineralocorticoides, and glucocorticoides.17
» Furthermore, it is an agonist to estrogen and progesterone receptors (Wu et al. 2002; Owsley and Chiang 2003; Brobst et al. 2004; Burris et al. 2005).
» Cheon etal in 2006 found it as an inhibitor to the nuclear factor-kB, which is a regulator of inflammatory response. 17,18
» It has also been found useful in ischemic heart disease.17,18
Conclusion
Commiphora mukul (Muqil) is a miraculous herb with versatile medicinal benefits. In Unani medicine and other Indian system of medicines it is categorized among top ranked medicines. A variety of benefits have been scientifically proven and good chunk of properties are yet to be evaluated. Time of the hour is to validate benefits of muqil scientifically in various chronic diseases as discussed above in this article in the context of Unani or Ayurvedic systems of medicine.
References