Question

The biological name of Indian Bdellium is:

• A. Commiphora mukul
• B. Commiphora berryi
• C. Commiphora wightii
• D. Commiphora molmol

Hint:

Commiphora wightii, also known as Indian Bdellium, is an important medicinal plant used in Ayurveda for treating various ailments, particularly inflammatory conditions.

Answer 1

The Correct Option is C

Several Commiphora species yield commercially important oleo-gum-resins, and each is tied to a specific drug name, so matching the drug "Indian Bdellium" to its exact species settles the question.

1. Commiphora mukul: This older name is still often used loosely for guggul in general literature, but it has been superseded as the accepted botanical name for the plant that yields Indian Bdellium.
2. Commiphora berryi: While this species also grows in India, it is not the plant associated with the Indian Bdellium drug of pharmacognosy.
3. Commiphora wightii: This species, a small branched shrub of dry areas in western India, is the currently recognised source of the resin called Indian Bdellium or guggul. The resin exudes when the bark is cut, and it has long been used in Ayurvedic formulations for joint pain and cholesterol control.
4. Commiphora molmol: This is the species that yields myrrh, a resin from Somalia and nearby regions, which is a distinct pharmacognostic drug from Indian Bdellium.

Because Indian Bdellium refers specifically to the guggul resin from the shrub now classified as Commiphora wightii, the correct answer is Commiphora wightii.