BIOPIRACY Imitations Not Innovations - Biopirateria
BIOPIRACY Imitations Not Innovations - Biopirateria
BIOPIRACY Imitations Not Innovations - Biopirateria
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Biopiracy: <strong>Imitations</strong> <strong>Not</strong> <strong>Innovations</strong> 39<br />
8. COMMIPHORA MUKUL<br />
Other names: Guggul in Hindi, Gukkal and<br />
Maishakshi in Tamil, Guggul in Telugu, Indian<br />
bdellium in English.<br />
Description of the plant and its location: It is a<br />
small round tree with spinescent branches and ashcoloured<br />
roughbark, peeling off in flakes. A pale<br />
yellow or brown aromatic gum resin is obtained from<br />
the bark. the gum resin consists of irregular, reddish<br />
masses of varying sizes. With a slow growth, the tree<br />
has a life span sometimes as long as 500 years. It is<br />
naturally found in Western Madhya Pradesh, Gujarat, Rajasthan, Eastern Bengal,<br />
Mysore and Assam.<br />
Part/s used: Resinous gum.<br />
Action and indigenous use of the plant: In the traditional medicine system,<br />
the plant is known to be “medhuhara” meaning “fat destroying” and its lipid<br />
lowering property is clearly derived from this. The plant gives out a resinous<br />
gum from its bark and branches, which is known as “guggul”. The gum is acrid,<br />
bitter, astringent, thermogenic, aromatic, expectorant, digestive, anthelmintic,<br />
anti-inflammatory, anodyne, depurative, antiseptic etc. It is used as a nervine<br />
tonic, demulcent, aphrodisiac, alterative, stimulant, liver tonic, detergent, antispasmodic,<br />
emmenagogue, haematinic, diuretic, lithontriptic and rejuvenating,<br />
general tonic and for the treatment of gout, scrofula, sciatica, facial paralysis,<br />
diplegia, leprosy leucoderma, dyspepsia, cough, asthma, bronchitis, pectoral<br />
and hepatic disorders, otorrhoea, epilepsy, fever, strangury, haemorrhoids,<br />
dysmenorrhoea, wounds, ulcers, cardiac disorders, coronary thrombosis anaemia,<br />
stomatopathy, pharyngopathy, spermatorrhoea, urinary calculus, diabetes, trichosis<br />
and skin diseases.<br />
Modern use in the patent: There are many patents granted by the USPTO<br />
related to this plant, which include:<br />
(US Patent 6,113,949) Weight control product and method of treating<br />
hyperlipidemia and increasing vigour with the product.<br />
A patent has been granted on a guggul composition with some salts,
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