Myrrh is the aromatic gum or resin that exudes from the stems and branches of more than 150 species in the Commiphora genus of the Burseraceae family. There are multiple references to myrrh in the Bible. Let me share information on two sources of myrrh.
Commiphora myrrha is a shrub that grows to a height of four meters and is found in the Arabian Peninsula and the African regions of Djibouti, Ethiopia, Somalia, and Northeastern Kenya. The tree has a peeling, light-coloured bark with small leaves and small white flowers. As is typical for xerophytes, it has a succulent stem with branches that store water for use during stress. The yellowish gum oleoresin is extracted through wounds in the bark. Alpha pinene and limonene compounds give the resin a pine scent. As the resin dries, it turns dark red. The walnut-sized resin bars are collected and distilled to produce myrrh oil. The yield of oil is low, at about 5 to 7 percent.
Ancient traders used the Silk Road through Mesopotamia to transport myrrh to China, first by donkey and then by camel, across the entire region from the ports of Petra and Alexandria. Today, the major exporters are Ethiopia, Yemen, and Somalia, although trade data is difficult to obtain because such information is categorised together with other incense-producing plants (e.g., frankincense). C. myrrha plantations were produced in Ethiopia using monetary and institutional aid. According to one estimate, new plantations of C. myrrha cover more than 170,000 hectares in Ethiopia.
Medicinal uses of Commiphora myrrha.
The Romans, Egyptians, Greeks, and Chinese used C. myrrha as a medicinal substance. Written references to myrrh as a perfume and medicinal herb date back to Herodotus in the 5th century BC. Myrrh acts on the mucosa and possesses antiseptic properties; Greek and Roman soldiers used it to treat wounds and sores. In addition to its use as a general tonic and disinfectant, myrrh was also used to treat indigestion, syphilis, and gonorrhoea. It was used as an expectorant to treat respiratory ailments. Because it was believed to promote menstrual flow, it was also used as an abortifacient.
The chemical constituents of myrrh include terpenes, sesquiterpenes, aldehydes, eugenol, resin compounds, volatile and essential oils, as well as proteins. The presence of sesquiterpenoids indicates neuroprotective properties. In 2011, the European Medicines Agency authorised myrrh tincture to treat minor ulcers, oral inflammation (e.g., gingivitis, stomatitis), minor wounds, and small boils.
Myrrh is used in European nasal decongestants, mouthwashes, toothpaste, and other products. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has proposed approving myrrh gum tincture for use in topical products. Studies on mice indicate that myrrh reduces cholesterol and triglycerides and increases glucose tolerance in both normal and diabetic rats. Its analgesic properties too were tested in rats (Omer et al., 2011).
China, with a vibrant herbal medicine industry, is a significant importer of myrrh, commonly known locally as mo yao. It is imported in powder and oil and used internally and externally to treat rheumatism, circulatory problems, and wounds. It is especially efficacious in treating amenorrhea, menopause, and uterine tumors (Zhu et al., 2001). As the resin burns slowly, it is also used in aromatherapy.
The European Commission's Health and Consumers Directorate has authorised C. myrrha gum extract (also known as myrrh absolute, myrrh oil, gum oil, resin, and resin water) as a perfume, skin and nail conditioner, and masking agent (preventing odour) in cosmetic and household products. C. myrrha leaf extract is also accepted by the Directorate for use in skin care products.
The plant is valued as an ingredient in various products, including mouthwashes, toothpaste, creams, and lotions. In the United States, myrrh oleoresin, essential oil, and extracts are approved for food additives and are in the “Generally Recognised as Safe” category. However, the resin, essential oils, and extracts have not been approved as astringents or in oral healthcare products.
C. wightii and C. africana are believed to be the ingredients of a composite gum called bdellium. Theophrastus was the first to mention bdellium, which he learned about during the campaigns of Alexander the Great in Persia and India. Dioscorides describes bdellium in De Materia Medica as “the tear of an Arabian tree” (i. 80). According to Pliny’s Historia Naturalis (xii. 35), it is transparent, fragrant, waxy, greasy, and bitter. Pliny mentions elsewhere that the incense from the tree came from Bactria in central Asia.
According to Genesis 2:8–9, bdellium may have been a plant in the Garden of Eden, located in the ancient land of Havilah, which was said to be served by four rivers. This region is likely the Euphrates River region in modern Iraq. Others say that references to bdellium in Bible dictionaries indicate that the resin came from Borassus flabellifer, another xerophyte that grows in India and Arabia and yields a gum-like fluid called manna.
C. wightii is found in India, called Indian myrrh, and in Eastern Africa, where it is called Guggul. Both C. wightii and C. africana are sources of bdellium. The thorny shrub is four to six feet tall, characterized by yellowish-green, papery bark. It inhabits semi-arid to arid regions of Northern India, Central Asia, Northern Africa, Iran, and Iraq. The branches produce a yellow gum that smells like myrrh. The gum yield is much less than that of C. gileadensis or C. myrrha. The plant is used locally as incense and commercially as a perfume binder and food flavoring. Overexploitation has caused rapid deterioration of the species, which the International Union for Conservation of Nature has classified as “vulnerable”.
Medicinal uses of bdellium.
The medicinal properties of bdellium are similar to those of C. myrrha and C. gileadensis. There appears to be consensus on the resin’s cholesterol-lowering and analgesic properties. Traditionally, it has been used to treat arthritis, atherosclerosis, skin diseases such as leukoderma, and obesity.
Guggul has been used in Ayurvedic medicine since approximately 600 BC, and references to the plant can be found in the Sushruta Samhita. Guggul is used to treat ulcers and sores. Its antibacterial and anthelminthic properties have been studied and validated using the agar well diffusion assay process. ( Pankaj Goel et al, 2010).
According to Ayurveda, Guggul enhances circulation and helps digestion by producing warmth in the body. Guggulsterone is the major steroid isolated from the plant. Other steroids include diterpenoids, aliphatic esters, carbohydrates, and amino acids.
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