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Chemistry, Biological Activities, and Uses of Copal Resin (Bursera spp.) in Mexico

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Gums, Resins and Latexes of Plant Origin

Part of the book series: Reference Series in Phytochemistry ((RSP))

Abstract

Copal is an aromatic resin that has been extracted by people from several arboreal species of the Burseraceae family—also known as copal—for at least two thousand years. In Mexico, two species in the genus Bursera (B. copallifera and B. bipinnata) are particularly important for the diversity of their uses, geographical distribution, and trade in commercial networks. At present, the use of copal resin continues to have ritual significance for numerous Mesoamerican peoples. The present chapter summarizes the past, present, and potential uses of copal, its identified chemical compounds, and their known biological activities. Some of the more frequent uses of copal are as an irreplaceable element in ritual ceremonies, in traditional medicine, and as an agglutinant in the elaboration of varnishes, pigments, and fixatives. Among the most abundant compounds in copal resin are the sesquiterpenes germacrene D and β-caryophyllene, the triterpenoids α- and β-amyrin, and the monoterpenes α- and β-pinene, β-phellandrene, and limonene. The chemical components of copal stems, bark, leaves, and resin have anti-inflammatory, antioxidative, and antineoplastic properties, because of which developing its application in pharmacology provides a promising opportunity.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Centro de Investigación en Biodiversidad y Conservación (CIByC) – Universidad Autónoma del Estado de Morelos, Av. Universidad 1001. Colonia Chamilpa. C.P. 62290, Cuernavaca, Morelos, Mexico

    José Blancas & Itzel Abad-Fitz

  2. Jardín Botánico – Instituto de Biología. Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Tercer Circuito exterior, S/N Ciudad Universitaria, C.P. 04510, Coyoacán, Ciudad de México, Mexico

    Leonardo Beltrán-Rodríguez & Sol Cristians

  3. Instituto de Investigaciones en Ecosistemas y Sustentabilidad, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Antigua Carretera a Pátzcuaro No.8701 Col. Ex Hacienda de Sán José de la Huerta C.P. 58190, Morelia, Michoacán, Mexico

    Selene Rangel-Landa & Alejandro Casas

  4. Escuela Nacional de Estudios Superiores, Unidad Morelia, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Antigua Carretera a Pátzcuaro No.8701 Col. Ex Hacienda de Sán José de la Huerta C.P. 58190, Morelia, Michoacán, Mexico

    Ignacio Torres-García

  5. People and Plants International, Bristol, VT, USA

    José Antonio Sierra-Huelsz

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  1. José Blancas
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  2. Itzel Abad-Fitz
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  3. Leonardo Beltrán-Rodríguez
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  4. Sol Cristians
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  5. Selene Rangel-Landa
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Correspondence to José Blancas .

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  1. Department of Botany, Karnatak University, Dharwad, Karnataka, India

    Hosakatte Niranjana Murthy

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Blancas, J. et al. (2022). Chemistry, Biological Activities, and Uses of Copal Resin (Bursera spp.) in Mexico. In: Murthy, H.N. (eds) Gums, Resins and Latexes of Plant Origin. Reference Series in Phytochemistry. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-91378-6_21

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