Agriculture Reference
In-Depth Information
Common Names —
Myrrh, oleo-resine (Fr.), molmol
African Names —
Arabic: morrh; Hausa: dashi, biskiti; Yoruba: turari; Swahili: mbebe,
mbele
Description —
Myrrh is the oleo-gum-resin obtained from several species of the genus
Commophora,
especially
C. molmol
Engl.,
C. abyssinica
(Berg.) Engl., and
C. mukul
Hook ex
Stocks. The drug, also known as Somalian or Arabian myrrh, is collected from wild trees of
C.
molmol
in Somali and parts of northeastern Africa and Arabia. Two varieties of myrrh are known
in commerce, the “guban” myrrh, which is rather oily, and the more powdery “Ogo.” The oleo-resin
is collected as exudates from fissures or incisions in the bark, which dries in the collecting vessels
as irregular masses or tears. It has a somewhat reddish-yellow color, turning slightly brownish with
time. It is dotted with whitish marks and has thin translucent splinters. It has a bitter but pleasant
taste and aromatic odor. Guggul resin or gum is obtained from
C. mukul
and referred to sometimes
as
Guggulu.
9,28
Habitat and Distribution —
Various species of the genus grow in the arid and tropical regions
of the continent. Somalia is the natural habitat of the plant, but it is also cultivated in Kenya,
Tanzania, Ethiopia, and some North African countries.
Ethnomedicinal Uses —
It is employed as a mouthwash and gargle for the treatment and pre-
vention of oral infections. It is also used as a stimulant and emmenagogue. A decoction of the stem
bark is used by the Masai as a purgative and by the Nyamwezi as a snakebite remedy. In East Africa,
various species of the genus
Commiphora
are used for wound dressing and for indigestion. The
stem bark of
C. Africa
is used in Niger Republic as an oral treatment for various diseases.
466
In West
Africa, vapor from the gum resin in boiling water is used for the treatment of eye inflammation, and
the bark is applied as a remedy for scorpion bite.
Constituents —
Myrrh consists of about 60% buns, which are usually composed of arabinose,
galactose, 4-O
-
methylglucuronic acid, and xylose.
467
Other constituents, eugenol, cadinene, fura-
nodiene, furanosesquiterpenes, heerabolene, cuminaldehyde, and elemol, are found in the volatile
components.
468
The resinous fraction is about 30% of the total weight and contains commiferin; α-,
β-, and γ-commiphoric acid; α- and β-heerambomyrrhols; commiphorinic acid; and heeraboresene.
It also contains sterols and proteins.
469
Pharmacological Studies —
The petroleum ether extract of myrrh, at a dose of 500 mg/kg
body weight, has been shown to produce significant inhibition of carrageenan-induced inflamma-
tion and cotton pellet granuloma.
470
It also showed significant antipyretic activity in mice. Myrrh
has been found to inhibit the growth of microorganisms in
in vitro
assay
.
471
The oleoresin from
C. mukul,
Guggul
gum, inhibits platelet aggregation and increases cat-
echolamine biosynthesis and activity in cholesterol-fed rabbits.
472,473
It is also hypolipidemic and
hypocholesteremic in both humans and animals.
474,477
Guggul resin has been found to activate the
thyroid glands in chickens and rats.
475
It has also been reported to have significant anti-inflamma-
tory and antiarthritic activity.
476
The anti-inflammatory activity of
C. mukul
oleoresin has been
associated with the presence of steroids such as E- and Z-guggulsterone, the Z-guggusterols.
476,477
The volatile oil contains cembrene A in addition to the other constituents found in the volatile oil
of
C. molmol.
Delaveau has reported that the extracts of
C. abyssinica
stimulate phagocytosis in
mice inoculated with
E. coli
.
1139
Clinical Applications —
Myrrh is an ingredient in mouthwashes because of its antiseptic
and stimulant properties. It is used in folk medicine as an expectorant, anti-inflammatory, and
antispasmodic and for the treatment of orodental infections. The crude drug is sold throughout
northern and eastern Africa and in Saudi Arabia as a remedy for inflammatory conditions and
rheumatism.
