Smirna

Commiphora myrrha is a tree in the family Burseraceae. It is one of the primary trees used in the production of myrrh, a resin made from dried tree sap. The tree is indigenous to Somalia, the Somali regions of Ethiopia and Kenya, Djibouti, Eritrea and parts of the Arabian Peninsula (Yemen and Oman). Somalia is the largest producer of both myrrh and frankincense.

Explore all seven extraits in the Discovery Set.

The tree and the resin

The tree thrives well in the arid and semi-arid regions. It grows at an elevation of approximately 250 to 1,300 m, with a yearly mean rainfall of about 23 to 30 cm. Commiphora myrrha is very spiny and it grows to a height of about 5 m. The leaves of Commiphora myrrha are a greyish-green colour with a papery texture. Its smooth, brown fruit is about the same size as the flowers, and is shaped like an egg.

When a cut on a tree penetrates through the bark and into the sapwood, the tree secretes a resin. Myrrh gum, like frankincense, is such a resin. Myrrh gum is commonly harvested from trees of the genus Commiphora. It is commonly extracted from the species Commiphora myrrha, Commiphora africana, Commiphora erythraea, Commiphora gileadensis, Commiphora habessinica, Commiphora hodai, Commiphora quadricincta, Commiphora schimperi, and Commiphora truncata.

The gum is yellowish and may be either clear or opaque. It darkens deeply as it ages, and white streaks emerge. Meetiga, a trade name for Arabian myrrh, is gummier and more brittle than the Somali variety and does not have the latter's white markings. Its taste is bitter and acrid. With water, myrrh forms an emulsion.

Chemistry

Myrrh contains 2-8% volatile oil (myrrhol), 23-40% resin (myrrhin), 40-60% gum, and a bitter principle of 10-25%. The major composition of terpenes in myrrh is furano-sesquiterpenoids. Furanodienes such as curzerene are sources of the fragrance emitted by myrrh and of its analgesic property.

The volatile oil from Commiphora molmol is thick and has a pale yellow color. Furanoeudesma-1,3-diene was the main component among the compounds isolated from the n-hexane extract of the essential oil of Commiphora molmol; furanodiene and β-elemene were also isolated from it. Furanoeudesma-1,3-diene is a colorless, unstable liquid. It can be rapidly auto-oxidized in air to give a resinous substance. Components of Commiphora molmol include cadinene, elemol, eugenol, cuminaldehyde and numerous furanosesquiterpenes.

The chemistry of myrrh resin is not completely elucidated. The resin is generally classified into a bigger ether soluble fraction and a smaller insoluble fraction. The ether soluble fraction consists of α-, β- and γ-commiphoric acid, esters of a resin acid, commiphorinic acid, and two phenolic resins, α- and β-heerabomyrrhol. Triterpenoids were the most biologically active compounds identified in resin of species of Commiphora. Phytochemical studies have shown that myrrh contains terpenoids, diterpenoids, triterpenoids, and steroids.

Uses

Myrrh is still used for ceremonial incense and anointing in a number of nations, including Somalia, Ethiopia, Sudan, and Yemen. It is commonly used today in mouthwash and toothpaste. Resin from Commiphora myrrha is an important source of myrrh, which adds flavour to meat products, desserts, soft drinks, gum and sweets. Myrrh gum has often been claimed to reduce the symptoms of indigestion, ulcers, colds, cough, asthma, respiratory congestion, arthritis, and cancer, although more good scientific evidence is needed to support these uses.

The oleo-gum-resins of a number of other Commiphora species are also used as perfumes, medicines and incense ingredients. Fragrant myrrh beads are made from the crushed seeds of Detarium microcarpum, an unrelated West African tree.