Medicinal properties and health benefits of guggul-Commiphora mukul

Commiphora mukul is one of the most important plants having a wide range of therapeutic values. It belongs to family Burseraceae which is an important plant family with plethora of medicinal plants. C. mukul is commonly known as guggul. Gum resin of guggul is the main constituent of this plant which is used as a medicine. The medicinal importance of guggul has been mentioned in ancient literatures of medicine. In Ayurveda, it has been mentioned as a cure for various diseases. It exhibits various pharmacological activities such as hypolipidemic, antiobesity, antiinflammatory, antioxidant, antiatherosclerotic, antiarthritic, cardioprotective, antidiabetic, cytotoxic, hepatoprotective, thyroid stimulatory activity, antimicrobial, neuroprotective, antiacne, antipsoriatic, antifertility, antihemmorhoid, and antiurolithic activities. Guggul is also used for various traditional, medicinal and religious purposes. This plant has a complex phytochemical profile having abundance of bioactive constituents. Guggulsterones are the important chemical constituents of guggul with several therapeutic uses. Other chemical components include terpenoids, steroids, flavonoids, guggulsterols, lignans, amino acids and sugars. Being a highly beneficial plant, it has a great demand in pharmaceutical industries. It has been overexploited, due to which it is becoming endangered. In this article, we have made efforts to describe about the phytochemical profile and various therapeutic uses of Commiphora mukul.