Guggul

Short note on Guggul

1. Guggul
Aradhana Sen
Department of Vegetables and Spice Crops
Faculty of Horticulture, uttar Banga Krishi Viswavidyaalaya, Pundibaari,
Coochbehar, WB- 736165
e-mail: [email protected]

Botanical Name:- Commiphora wightii (Arn.) (2n= 26)
Family: Burseraceae
Common Names:- Indian bdellium-tree, gugal, guggul, gugul, or Mukul myrrh tree.
Parts Used:- Resin exuded by plant.

Introduction: Guggulu is obtained from Indian Bdellium or Gum Guggul tree. It is an oleo
gum ‘resin’ exuded by plant during summer months (April to May in India). To obtain resin,
circular incisions should be made on the main stem. Through these incisions, aromatic fluid
exudes that quickly solidifies to form golden brown or reddish brown agglomerate. The dried
resin will have a bitter taste and a balsamic odour. This is being termed as “guggulu: and is
used for medicinal purpose. Guggul is a shrub (small tree) which can reach height of 12 feet
with thin paper bark. Basically, it is grown for its medicinal properties. The Guggul tree
branches are thorny and individual flowers are red to pink with 4 small petals. This plant may
be found from USA to Asia, but is mostly found in north Indian regions especially Rajasthan,
Gujarat, Maharashtra, and Karnataka. This plant is also found in Bangladesh and Pakistan.
Guggul is cultivated in larger areas of Ajmer district of Rajasthan. The Guggul shrub
defoliates in winter and a reserve for Guggul gum extraction is high during months of April
to May. Guggul gum-resin is used in Ayurvedic medicines as a remedy to reduce cholesterol
in blood. This plant is also very useful of treating arthritis and obesity. Commercial
cultivation of Guggul may increase every year as demand of herbal medicine is increasing
day by day.

Constituents: Guggul is the mixture of ketonic steroids from the gummy yellowish oleoresin
of the plant extract from India. Mainly resin, volatile oils, and gum E & Z Guggulusterones 2
to 5 % , Guggul sterols, Diterpenoids , Terpene, Cambrene, Myrcene, Dimyrcene and Poly-
myrcene

Health Benefits:
Guggulu has excellent medicinal properties and used to treat many disorders.
1. It improves digestion and appetite.
2. It is useful in activating thyroid function.
3. It is useful drug to treat high cholesterol.
4. It also helps eliminate and expel dead tissues, wastes, and toxins from the body.
5. It breaks down clot and prevents platelet aggregation.
6. It fights obesity and stimulates weight loss. Due to this property it is used in
preparation of many weight
7. loss herbals such as Himalaya Ayur slim capsules.
8. It boosts immune system by stimulating the activity of white blood cells.
9. It stimulates regeneration of nerve tissues, bones and joints.
10. It uterine stimulant and helps in regulating menstruation.
11. Other medicinal uses include skin diseases, anaemia, liver disease and respiratory
illness.

2. Varieties (Cultivars) of Guggul:- There are no commercial varieties available. However,
Marusudha, germplasm are high yielding varieties available in Rajasthan.

Climate and Soil:
It usually occurs in and regions, hills and piedomonts, but it can be grown in warm and semi
and regions on hill tops, preferring hard, rockey soils off North west India. It is also
considered as a drought aria salinity resistant plant. It prefers loams to sandy loam soils with
pH ranging between 7.5 to. 9.0. Soils are coarse textured, well drained and calcarious soils
are generally poor in organic carbon, nitrogen, high in potash ion, magnesium, zinc and
copper, medium in phosphorus and calcium.

Propagation:
I. By Seed:
Seeds are the major propagation source in nature but due to hard seed coat the guggul seed
germination is poor and hence needed to be mechanically scarified with sand paper and kept
under running water for 24 hours. In Rajasthan and nearby arid regions flowers and seeds are
constantly produced by C wightii except in winter season. April May seeds are less viable
compared to July to September seeds. Monsoon, season creates conducive atmosphere for
germination. The temperature after monsoon ranges between 30 - 37°C maximum 20-25 °C
rninimum with high relative humidity. Mature seeds are washed along with clay and soil to
the crevasses between rocks and germinate there. 12 months (1year) old seedlings should be
transplanted in the main field.

2. By Cuttings:
It can be successfully propagated vegetatively by semi hard wood stem cuttings. Cuttings are
planted in June at a depth of 15 cm for raising them in nursery. Proper soil moisture is
necessary for better rooting. The rooting begins after 21 days from 30 cm long stem cutting
having 1.5 - 2.0 cm diameter IBA @ 250 ppm) treatment of stem cuttings is beneficial which
enhances the rooti8ng to nearly 70% as against 30% under normal conditions. The plants are
kept in nursery for 6 months and during the monsoon rooted cutting are transplanted in the
field at a spacing of 2 x 2 meters.

Irrigation and Weeding:
C. wightii require meager irrigation after its establishment. In the scarcity of rain, tip to 5
years, plant is in need of irrigation during winter season. During summer seasons at the age of
8 years when the plant attains full maturity it requires irrigation at least 2-3 times during
summer and winter season. During rainy season, weeds occur in the crop. The excessive
weeds-cheek the nutrition supply to the plant. The weeding is beneficial in the month of
September and December. Weed free field is essential for any crop to get maximum yield and
healthy produce. One weeding and one hoeing should be done during early growth of the
crop. But the soil should be stirred up around the plants (bushes) 2 times / year.

Tapping and Collection ( Harvesting):
Plants attain 4 to 5 meter height in 6 to 7 years and 3 to 4 cm thick main trunk and some
lateral branches. After achieving the physiological maturity of plant the gum resin is tapped
during Dec. and Feb. Plant attaining 7.5 cm diameter is suitable for tapping the gum resin.
Usually 1.5 cm deep circular incisions are made on the main branches and stems at uniform
distance of 30 cm and at an angle of 60 manually from 40 cm above the ground. A paste of
gum-resin in water is applied at the incised spot and bandaged to potentiate flow of gum-

3. resin. The flow of gum starts 3 to 7 days after tapping, the yellowish white fragrant latex
dozes out through the incision and slowly solidifies into vemicular or stalactitic pieces which
are collected manually or with spear and is exhausted in next 15–21 days. As gum-resin gets
hardened on exposure to air, it should be collected in earthen cups fixed below the cut part. 2
to 3 collections of gum are possible in a season. Subsequently collection is done at the
interval of 10-15 days. Use of 40 mg of 2-chloroethyl phosphoric acid fed to the roots
through injection can increase the flow of gum and maximize yield significantly. The tapped
branches or the entire tree may die 8–10 months after yielding the gum.

Grading:
The best grade of guggul is collected from the thick branches of tree. These lumps of guggul
are translucent Second grade guggul is usually mixed with brark, sand and is dull coloured
guggul. Third grade guggul is usually collected from the ground which is mixed with sand
stones and other foreign matter. The final grading is done after getting clearnsed material.
Interior grades are improved by sprinkling castor oil over the heaps of the guggul which
impart a shining appearance.

Plant Protection:
Plants are often affected by termites particularly in summer season. Termite causes severe
damage to the plant by making holes through buried ends of the stem or root. The infested
plants become dry showing yellow appearance' of leaves and eventually result in death of the
plants.

Some of the control measures are as follows:
i) Destroying the termitorium by using kerosene of calcium disulphide.
ii) Use of paste of goridal consisting of Garcenia gummiphera (1 part) and asafetida aloes and
guggul resin (2 Part each) in an aqueous mixture is effective in killing
termites.
iii) Use of 'haptafan' 44-45 kg/1000 pits (3%) as soil application is effective.
iv) Use of mercuric chloride (0.25 %) or copper sulphate (0.55%) in aquous solutions is
effective in controlling the termites.
v) Dusting of 250 gm of gamaxene (B.H.C. 10 %) in the soil of each pits at the time of
planting is also used as preventive measures for termites.

Chemical Constituents:
The resin is transparent in the form of thin film but transparent or even opaque in bulk. It is
completely soluble in most of the organic solvent and in castor oil drying and terpentine oil.
It mixes with stearic acid, vegetable waxes and resins.
The essential oil (0.38%), obtained by steam distillation of oleo - resin of C. weightii is
composed of chiefly terpermes like myrcene (64%), dimyrcene (11%) polymyrcene and
cryophylene.

Yield:
Starting from sixth year the guggul gum yield increases from 200 gm to 400 gm per plant.
The total guggul gum yield within five year comes to be 1600 gm per plant corresponding to
3200 kg per ha @ 2000 plants per ha.