ABSTRACT
The Commiphora genus contains up to 200 species of often thorny shrubs or small- to medium-sized dioecious trees with a peeling, papery bark growing in sandy and rocky areas distributed across Africa and the Arabian peninsula, with four species also found in India. Myrrh is used in traditional Chinese and in Indian Ayurvedic medicine. In China, the resin and its products are utilized for the treatment of skin ulcers, wounds, oral ulcers, pain, toothache, fracture, rheumatism, arthritis, inflammatory diseases, diseases caused by blood stagnation, dysmenorrhea, hemiplegia, and tumors. Myrrh can also be applied in liniments for bruises, aches, and sprains. The resin is said to have antitumor, anti-inflammatory, analgesic, antioxidant and antimicrobial properties. Myrrh oil is a yellowish-brown to brownish clear viscous liquid, which has a warm-balsamic, sweet and spicy aromatic odor. An aromatherapist had chronic hand dermatitis and was patch test positive to 17 of 20 oils used at her work, including myrrh oil.
