Frankincense in Recent Traditional
Medicine••One of the best-known formulations
with myrrh and frankincense is QiLi San, the name referring to the small dose
of the powder to be taken internally each time (7/1000 of a tael, about 0.4
grams).
•QiLi Sanis given for all kinds of injuries. No doubt, this ancient
prescription provided the inspiration for the 20th century formula Yunnan
BaiYao, an aromatic blend that is currently the most famous injury remedy in
Asia.
•Traditional Chinese Medicine recognizes frankincense and myrrh as blood
regulating herbs that complement each other. They invigorate the blood, dispel
blood stasis and reduce swelling, relieve pain and promote healing.
Medical Uses of Frankincense according to recent studies
Frankincense essential
oil soothes and calms the mind, slowing down and deepening breathing , and
excellent while meditating.
•Antiseptic (Antibacterial and antifungal) and anti-inflammatory , it improves
wound healing and relieve swellings.
•Anxiety and Obsessive compulsive disorders.
•Asthma, bronchitis, laryngitis, coughs and colds.
•Menstrual disturbances ; dysmenorrheaand amenorrhea.
•Rheumatoid arthritis and Osteoarthritis.
•Incensol(a component of frankincense essential oil) was found to possess
neuroprotective properties in neurodegenerative diseases and boswellic acids
were found to reduce brain edema in CVA as well as in cancer.
•Taking frankincense internally helps boost the immune system.
Frankincense
in cancer
•Chemical extracts of Boswellia
species resins might possess anti-cancer activities, based on their
anti-proliferative and pro-apoptotic activities in rat astrocytomacell lines
•Frankincense essential oil have also been shown to possess cytostaticand
cytotoxicactivities in multiple human cancer cell lines, including
meningiomacells ,leukemia cells , hepatomacells ,melanoma cells,
fibrosarcomacells, colon cancer cells , pancreatic cancer, and prostate cancer
cells.
•Derivatives of boswellic acid are suitable for the palliative treatment of
progressive or relapsing brain tumors, due to, among other things, their
described anti-edematous properties.
•InVitro study ;20 microgram/ml of boswellic acid acetate decreased viable cell
number of myeloid leukemia HL-60 cells by 60% within 24 h.
•Recentstudies on brain tumors and leukemic cells indicate that boswellicacids
may have antiproliferativeand apoptotic
HK Lin and his team,
from the University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center and Oklahoma City VA
Medical Center, set out to evaluate frankincense oil for its anti-tumour
activity in bladder cancer cells. The authors investigated the effects of the
oil in two different types of cells in culture: human bladder cancer cells and
normal bladder cells. The team found that frankincense oil is able to
discriminate between normal and cancerous bladder cells in culture, and
specifically kill cancer cells.
Within a range of
concentration, frankincense oil suppressed cell viability in bladder
transitional carcinoma J82 cells but not in UROtsa cells. Comprehensive gene
expression analysis confirmed that frankincense oil activates genes that are
responsible for cell cycle arrest, cell growth suppression, and apoptosis in
J82 cells. However, frankincense oil-induced cell death in J82 cells did not
result in DNA fragmentation, a hallmark of apoptosis.
Article: Frankincense oil derived from Boswellia carteri induces tumor cell
specific cytotoxicity
Mark Barton Frank, Qing Yang, Jeanette Osban, Joseph T Azzarello, Marcia R
Saban, Ricardo Saban, Richard A Ashley, Jan C Welter, Kar-Ming Fung and
Hsueh-Kung
Lin
http://www.biomedcentral.com/bmccomplementa
rankincense oil-induced
J82 cell death; A- treated with frankincense essential oil 1:1000 solution and
B- untreated
Source:
Antimicrobial activities of
frankincense•The use of Frankincense during
Khareef
season in Dhofaris so common to prevent
indoor molds and germs growth when sun
Ultraviolet is markedly interrupted by the
long season of mist.
•Methanol and aqueous extracts of frankincense stem bark were found to exhibit
broad spectrum inhibiting activity against bacteria, both Gram-positive and
Gram-negative, and fungi.
•Methanol and aqueous extracts of Frankincense resin were found to
significantly inhibit (>/90% inhibition at 100 microg/mL) hepatitis C virus
(HCV) protease.
•Extracts of Frankincense gum resins and the boswellic acids, particularly the
ketoboswellic acids (11-keto-beta-boswellic acid and 3-O-acetyl-11-beta-keto
boswellic acid) were shown to be potent activators of human polymorph nuclear
leukocytes.
Frankincense in Respiratory System*Frankincense is traditionally used (particularly in Oman)
to treat coughs (Antitussive& Bronchodilator).
*Modern research confirms that it inhibits the production of leukotrieneswhich
mediate airways constrictions and inflammation.
*It is currently being researched and used therapeutically in hospitals in
Europe.
Frankincense in AsthmaIn a double-blind, placebo-controlled study of 80 patients,
40 (23 males, 17 females) in the age range of 18 -75 years having mean duration
of illness, bronchial asthma, of 9.58 +/-6.07 years were given a boswellia gum
resin preparation of 300 mg, 3 times daily for 6 weeks. 70%of patients given
boswellia extract showed significant improvement as evidenced by disappearance
of physical symptoms (dyspnea, rhonchi, increase in FEV1, FVC and PERF, decreases
in ESR and eosinophilcount) and lower number of attacks. In contrast, only
27%of patients in the control group showed improvement.
Frankincense in Arthritis•Boswellic acids were studied in 42 osteoarthritis patients
in a randomized, double blind, placebo controlled crossover study. Pain and
disability scores were decreased significantly, but radiological assessment
showed no change.
•Boswellic acids work well in arthritis, bursitis and tendonitis.
•Boswellic acids in osteoarthritis and rheumatoid arthritis. The anti
inflammatory effect of boswellic acid is similar to the conventional NSAID and
act by inhibition of leukotrienessynthesis via inhibition of
5-lipoxygenas.
Boswellic acids versus NSAID•In contrast to non-steriodalanti-inflammatory drugs
(NSAID), which are well known to disrupt glycosaminoglycansynthesis, thus
accelerating articulardamage in arthritic conditions, boswellic acids have been
shown to significantly reduce glycosaminoglycandegradation.
•Long-term use of boswellia does not lead to irritation or ulceration of the
stomach.
•Boswellic acids have no effect on 12-lipoxygenase, cyclooxygenase, or the
peroxidationof arachidonicacid by iron and ascorbate, suggesting the boswellic
acid component to be a specific, non-redox, noncompetitive inhibitor of
5-lipozygenase, the key enzyme of leukotrienebiosynthesis.
Frankincense Immunological Applications•In an immunological study,
boswellic acids also have been shown to possess anticomplementaryactivity via
C3-convertase inhibition. C3-convertase is involved in the production of
anaphylatoxin.
•Inhibition of graft rejection to the same extent as high dose steroids.
Frankincense In Inflammatory Bowel DiseaseUlcerative colitis (an
inflammatory bowel disease) respond well via inhibition of 5-lipoxygenase as
well.
1997; Patients given Frankincense gum resin preparation (350 mg 3 times daily)
for 6 weeks compared with sulfasalazine (1 g 3 times daily), parameters of
ulcerative colitis (e.g. stool properties, histopathology, rectal biopsies,
blood work) were improved. Remission was 82%with the resin and 75% with
sulfasalazine.
A more recent (2001) study led by the same principal investigators evaluated 30
patients (17 males, 13 females ranging in age from 18 to 48 years) with chronic
colitis.
Twenty patients were given a preparation of the gum resin (900 mg daily divided
in 3 doses for 6 weeks), and 10 patients were given sulfasalazine(3 gm daily
divided in 3 doses for 6 weeks).
Among the 20 patients treated with boswellia, 18 showed improvement and 14 went
into remission. Among the 10 treated with sulfasalazine, 6 showed improvement
and 4 went into remission.
.
Although corticosteroids are widely used in the treatment of IBD, ithas major
side effects that limit its chronic use in these patients.The boswellic acids
have not shown such deleterious side effectsin any of the clinical studies
published to date.
Recent (2001) studies of experimental ileitis and Chrondisease have used an
AKBA extract called H15.
Chemical Properties•The gum resin of Frankincense contains
biologically active boswellic acid (3-alpha-hydroxy-urs-12-en-23-oic acid) and
its derivatives (collectively called terpenoids)
•Acid resin (63%) and Volatile oil (10%) dissolve to 65% in Alcohol. While Gum
(27%) and Ash (0-1%) dissolve into 3 portions of water forming thick mucilage.
•So Alcohol extracts about 75% of frankincense (W/V; 1:195% ethyl alcohol or
1:270% ethyl alcohol)
•Standardized*alcoholic (ethanol) extract of Frankincense gum resin contains
60% to 65% boswellic acids.
•Specific gravity of the oil is 0.87 –0.88 @ 25 C°.
*
Primary extraction contains about 45%
•The exudates of the frankincense
tree contains volatile oils (frankincense essential oil) and terpenoids
(Boswellic acids) and both are alcohol soluble, and gum (the water soluble
portion).
•The terpenoids are comprised of four pentacyclic triterpene acids:
beta-boswellic acid (the most abundant), 3-o-acteyl beta,
11-keto-beta-boswellic acid, and 3 o-acetyl-11-keto-beta-boswellic acid.
•Of the four primary boswellic acids, 3-O-acetyl-11-keto-beta-boswellic acid
(AKBA) has been determined to be the most potent inhibitor of 5-LO.
Major
components of Frankincense Essential Oil in (high-low) manner•Alpha-Pinene
•Limonene
•Alpha-Thujene
•Octyl-Acetate
•Beta-Caryophyllene
•Sabinene
•P-Cymene
•Myrcene
•Incensol
•Delta-Cadinene
•Beta-Pinene
•Beta Elemene
•Alpha-Cadinol
•Alpha-Copaene
•Camphene
Structure of β-boswellic acid, one of the main active components
of frankincense
Beta-boswellic
acid, keto-beta-boswellic acid and acetyl-keto-beta-boswellic acid (AKBA) have
been indicated in apoptosis of cancer cells, particularly brain tumors and
cells affected by leukemia or colon cancer .
Acetyl-boswellic acids
also exhibit anti-inflammatory behaviour by inhibiting leukotriene synthesis.
Specifically, it inhibits the activity of the enzyme 5-lipoxygenase through a
non-redox reaction. Clinical trials have investigated the effectiveness of
boswellic acids in treating ulcerative colitis, but a study on chemically
induced colitis in mouse models showed little effectiveness. This latter study
also linked large doses of boswellic acids to hepatotoxicity and increased lipid
accumulation. Paradoxically, low doses of Boswellia serrata extract may have
hepatoprotective effects.
Boswellic acids are also
thought to decrease the symptoms of asthma ; a small 1998 placebo-controlled
trial of Boswellia extract for the treatment of asthma showed good results.
Boswellia extracts are sold in tablet, capsule and tincture form, but no dosage
guidelines have been developed. The risk of hepatotoxicity due to Boswellia
administration has not been assessed.
