English

Guggul (Commiphora wightii)

Guggul (resin from Commiphora wightii)

Noun

guggul ‎(uncountable)

1. Commiphora wightii, a flowering plant most common in northern India, with thin papery bark and thorny branches; resin extracted from the plant, used in traditional medicine.
   • 2003, James B. Lavalle, Cracking the Metabolic Code: The Nine Keys to Peak Health, page 115,

     The Hindu medical system of India has used guggul for centuries to treat many illnesses. Guggul has been described in Indian medical literature as an agent for treating obesity and other eating disorders.

   • 2006, Sandeep Kumar, S. S. Suri, K. C. Sonie, K. G. Ramawat, Development of Biotechnology for Commiphora wightii: A Potent Source of Natural Hypolipidemic and Hypocholesterolemic Drug, P. S. Srivastava, Sheela Srivastava, Alka Narula (editors), Plant Biotechnology and Molecular Markers, page 132,

     In ancient times, guggul was used primarily as treatment for inflammatory conditions, including arthritis.

   • 2011, Rajarajeswari Sivalenka, Mangathayaru Putrevu, Chapter 15: Ayurvedic Ingredients in Cosmetics, Nava Dayan, Lambros Kromidas (editors), Formulating, Packaging, and Marketing of Natural Cosmetic Products, page 298,

     Guggul, the sticky gum resin from the Mukul myrrh tree, plays a major role in the traditional herbal medicine of India. The primary chemical constituents of guggul include phytosterols, gugulipids, and guggulsterones.

Derived terms

• guggulipid
• guggulsterone
• gum guggul

See also

• myrrh