26SW17 - Commiphora mukul (Guggul): Ancient Medicine to Modern Mechanisms

Speaker: Jillian Stansbury, ND

This session will offer a deep dive on the many folkloric uses of myrrh and share modern research on its underlying mechanisms of action. We will survey the most commonly used species of Commiphora trees, from medicines, to resins, to perfumery, and detail numerous traditional uses including for antimicrobial activity, cystic acne, digestive and cardiovascular diseases. The most studied medicinal compounds including the guggulipids and guggulsteroids will be reviewed along with modern research detailing how these compounds affect bile acid receptors. Support of LXR and FXR receptors offer many metabolic, cardiovascular, and hepatic benefits from improving cholesterol metabolism as an alternative to statin drugs, to supporting glucose metabolism as an alternative to gliptin anti-diabetes agents and popular GLP weight-loss agents. This research is quite technical and provides a better understanding of drugs that work at the level of nuclear transcription factors to elicit hepatic and biliary effects on glucose and lipid metabolism, and highlighting how Commiphora can have similar actions with less side effects.

Related product: The PowerPoint for this recording is available here: 2026 Southwest Conference Book Download (PDF)