Assessment of volatile oil content for quality control of commercial Samples of Guggulu viz. Commiphora wightii (Arn.): A critically endangered species

The oleo-gum resin of Commiphora wightii syn. Commiphora mukul (family: Burseraceae), aka Guggulu, is a popular and widely used drug in Indian Ayurvedic pharma industries and in rest of the world. To get the best and desired clinical effects, authenticity and quality of raw drugs is essential. For Guggulu, along with other parameters, volatile oil determination can be regarded as simple and reproducible test for confirming valid samples of Guggulu. We investigated the current scenario of market availability of raw Guggulu exudate in Pune city, India and four market samples from local vendors were investigated. Volatile oil from the raw sample was determined by Clevenger’s apparatus. It is noted that poor quality samples are available in markets, and these might be used for manufacturing of Ayurvedic products by some pharma industries, which further raises the quality control concern. To reduce the cost and make the product comparable with others in the market, quality of raw drugs must not be compromised. This study indicates the necessity of proper quality control of Guggulu. More cultivation and proper collection methodology of Guggulu is also needed to match the huge demand of this drug.