Indian bdellium-tree

Names and Synonyms

Common Names

• Indian bdellium-tree

Scientific Names

Accepted name

Synonyms

• Balsamodendrum wightii
• Balsamea mukul
• Commiphora roxburghii var. serratifolia
• Balsamodendrum mukul
• Commiphora mukul

Regional and Traditional Names

Sources: Wikidata, Catalogue of Life

Taxonomical Classification

This plant belongs to the kingdom Plantae and the phylum Streptophyta, specifically categorized within the class Equisetopsida and subclass Magnoliidae. Following the order Sapindales, it is a member of the Burseraceae family. Ultimately, it is classified under the genus Commiphora as the species Commiphora wightii.

Sources: The World Checklist of Vascular Plants (WCVP)

Distribution

This plant, known scientifically as Commiphora wightii, exhibits a specific geographical range spanning across diverse regions. Within the Arabian Peninsula, its presence is noted in the country of Oman. Moving toward the Indian Subcontinent, the species is also widely distributed throughout India. Additionally, it can be found growing in the landscapes of Pakistan. These locations highlight the plant's ability to thrive in specific environments across both the Middle East and South Asia.

Sources: The World Checklist of Vascular Plants (WCVP)

Botanical Identification

Life history

The life history of Commiphora wightii is characterized by its status as a perennial organism, allowing it to persist through multiple growing seasons within its natural habitat. Throughout its existence, the plant exhibits a deciduous growth habit, shedding its foliage periodically, which is often an evolutionary adaptation to seasonal water availability or climatic shifts. This lifecycle allows the species to maintain long-term stability in its ecosystem while managing resource allocation through its periodic loss and regrowth of leaves.

Deciduousness :

deciduous

Lifecycle :

perennial

Morphology

The morphology of Commiphora wightii is characterized by a woody growth form, typically manifesting as a shrub. It is a self-supporting plant that does not exhibit climbing tendencies. On average, the plant reaches a height of approximately 4 m.

Climber :

self-supporting

Growth form :

shrub

Plant height mean:

4 m

Woodiness :

woody

Physiology

The physiology of Commiphora wightii is characterized by its specialized adaptations to arid and semi-arid environments, where its metabolic processes are geared toward moisture conservation and survival under nutrient-limited conditions. As a member of the Burseraceae family, it exhibits a distinct succulent-like capacity in its stem tissues to store water, facilitating survival during prolonged dry spells. Its photosynthetic pathways are optimized to minimize transpiration, often employing mechanisms that allow for gas exchange while strictly regulating stomatal conductance to prevent desiccation. In terms of nutrient cycling and soil interaction, the species does not possess the symbiotic capabilities required for atmospheric nitrogen assimilation; specifically, it is not a nitrogen fixer, as it lacks the specialized root nodules or bacterial associations necessary for this biological process. Instead, it relies on the uptake of available nitrates and ammonium from the soil through its root system, adapting its growth rates to the seasonal availability of water and mineral nutrients in its native ecosystem.

Nitrogen fixer :

no

Reproduction

Reproduction in Commiphora wightii is primarily driven by sexual processes facilitated by its flowering mechanism, though the specific genetic outcomes are governed by its pollination biology. A critical aspect of its reproductive strategy is the mechanism of fertilization; specifically, self-fertilization is absent in this species, necessitating the transfer of pollen between different individual plants to ensure successful seed set. This lack of self-fertilization suggests a reliance on cross-pollination, likely mediated by wind or insect vectors, which promotes genetic diversity within the population. Once pollination occurs, the development of seeds follows, allowing for the dispersal and establishment of new seedlings in its natural habitat.

Self fertilization :

absent

Sources: Global Inventory of Floras and Traits (GIFT)

Plant Parts

Commiphora wightii has 3 reported plant parts identified across 3 scientific publications and several other databases that are studied for medicinal purposes. The most consistently reported plant part include leaf, root, stem.

Leaf

1. SpringerPlus

Root

1. Genome announcements

Stem

1. SpringerPlus

Chemicals

Commiphora wightii has 56 reported phytochemicals identified across 3 scientific publications and several other databases. The most consistently reported chemicals include Guggulsterone, Z-Guggulsterone, guggulipid, Sterols, ZN.

Guggulsterone

1. Molecular cancer therapeutics
2. RSC medicinal chemistry
3. Advances in experimental medicine and biology
4. Pharmaceuticals (Basel, Switzerland)
5. Exploration of targeted anti-tumor therapy

Z-Guggulsterone

1. Journal of chromatographic science
2. Molecular pharmacology
3. Molecular cancer therapeutics
4. Physiology and molecular biology of plants : an international journal of functional plant biology

guggulipid

1. Dr. Duke
2. Phytotherapy research : PTR
3. Drug research

Sterols

1. Phytochemistry
2. Phytotherapy research : PTR

ZN

1. Biological trace element research
2. SpringerPlus

(+)-Sesamin

1. Dr. Duke

20-alpha-hydroxy-Pregn-4-en-3-one

1. Dr. Duke

5-Methoxysesamin

1. Journal of biomolecular structure & dynamics

ALUMINUM

1. Dr. Duke

Anti Bacterial

1. Fitoterapia

Activities

Commiphora wightii has 316 reported activities identified across 3 scientific publications and several other databases. The most consistently reported activities include Antioxidant, Antibacterial, Hypolipidemic, Antimutagenic, Antitumor.

Antioxidant

1. Dr. Duke
2. Avicenna journal of phytomedicine
3. Phytomedicine : international journal of phytotherapy and phytopharmacology
4. Pharmaceuticals (Basel, Switzerland)
5. Journal of ethnopharmacology

Antibacterial

1. Dr. Duke
2. Pharmaceuticals (Basel, Switzerland)
3. Journal of ethnopharmacology
4. Exploration of targeted anti-tumor therapy
5. World journal of gastroenterology

Hypolipidemic

1. Dr. Duke
2. Avicenna journal of phytomedicine
3. Journal of ethnopharmacology

Antimutagenic

1. Dr. Duke
2. Exploration of targeted anti-tumor therapy

Antitumor

1. Dr. Duke
2. Exploration of targeted anti-tumor therapy

Cardioprotective

1. Dr. Duke
2. The Nigerian postgraduate medical journal

Diuretic

1. Dr. Duke
2. The international journal of lower extremity wounds

Hypocholesterolemic

1. Dr. Duke
2. Journal of chromatography. B, Biomedical sciences and applications

11B-HSD-Inhibitor

1. Dr. Duke

5-Lipoxygenase-Inhibitor

1. Dr. Duke

Conditions

Commiphora wightii has 24 reported investigations on conditions identified across 3 scientific publications and several other databases. The most consistently reported conditions include obesity, arthritis, atherosclerosis, cardiovascular diseases, hyperlipidemia.

Obesity

1. Journal of postgraduate medicine
2. Planta medica
3. Advances in experimental medicine and biology
4. Drug research
5. Life (Basel, Switzerland)

Arthritis

1. Planta medica
2. Drug research
3. Life (Basel, Switzerland)

Atherosclerosis

1. Phytomedicine : international journal of phytotherapy and phytopharmacology
2. Life (Basel, Switzerland)

Cardiovascular diseases

1. Planta medica
2. Phytomedicine : international journal of phytotherapy and phytopharmacology

Hyperlipidemia

1. Alternative therapies in health and medicine
2. Journal of complementary & integrative medicine

Inflammation

1. Planta medica
2. Drug research

Acne

1. Drug research

Diabetic retinopathy

1. Current topics in medicinal chemistry

Uveitis

1. Current topics in medicinal chemistry

Acne

1. Life (Basel, Switzerland)

Preparations

Commiphora wightii has 31 reported preparations identified across 3 scientific publications and several other databases. The most consistently reported preparations include gum resin, oleo-gum resin, Oleo gum resin, capsules, compounded tablets.

Gum resin

1. Planta medica
2. Advances in experimental medicine and biology
3. Molecular diversity

Oleo-gum resin

1. RSC medicinal chemistry
2. Journal of biomolecular structure & dynamics

Oleo gum resin

1. Phytotherapy research : PTR

Capsules

1. Journal of chromatography. B, Biomedical sciences and applications

Compounded tablets

1. Journal of chromatography. B, Biomedical sciences and applications

Crude ethyl acetate extract

1. International immunopharmacology

Crude extract

1. International immunopharmacology

Ethanolic extracts

1. Avicenna journal of phytomedicine

Ethylacetate extract

1. Journal of postgraduate medicine

Fraction "a" of gum-guggual

1. Arzneimittel-Forschung