Primordial science and pioneering approaches of guggul for chronic ailments – A modernized review

Abstract

An oleo gum resin guggulu is a product which obtained as a result of gummosis from the bark of Commiphora wightii (Arnott) Bhandari [syn. Commiphoramukul (Hook. Ex Stocks) Family, Burseraceae]. It has been known for its immense applicability in the Ayurveda since time immemorial for the treatment of variety of disorders such as inflammation, gout, rheumatism, impotence, leprosy, obesity, and disorders of lipids metabolism. It is a mixture of phytoconstituents like terpenoids, steroids, flavonoids, guggultetrols, lignans, sugars, and amino acids. This review is an effort to compile all the information available on all of its chemical constituents which are responsible for its therapeutic potential, limitation of guggul extracts and the necessity of novel principles for gum guggul. Nowadays, Guggul is available as the marketed formulation for curing numerous clinical conditions and is accessible in combination with various other ingredients. Though conventional dosage form shows the dominance as patient compliance and easy availability, yet it has found to pose the problems like dose fluctuation, peak-valley effect, non-adjustment of the administered drug, invasiveness etc. Guggul lacks its desired effect due to its low bioavailability and water solubility. This makes it a partial or a deficient therapy for remedy of many signs and symptoms. Novel drug delivery system (NDDS), a new approach and has excluded many of drawbacks exhibited by conventional dosage forms. Some of the novel dosage forms of guggul has been formed like nanoparticles, nanovesicles, gugglusomes and proniosomal gel. But still, the novel formulations for guggul has its less outspread in the market. Guggul can be executed as a profitable drug using NDDS. There is a need to highlight the unidentified and unexplained facts about guggul so as to make it more efficacious and effective in terms of bioavailability and aqueous insolubility.