Boswellia serrata (frankincense)

Boswellia serata is a tree that produces a valuable resin known as olibanum (or frankincense). Olibanum is a fragrance resin. It is used in combination with myrrh and balsam and smells after spices when burning. It is often used in various religious ceremonies and meditations.

Frankincense (olibanum) has been traded on the Arabian Peninsula for more than 5000 years, when it was used for embalming and riding. 

Nowadays, boswellia and olibanum are considered as a nutritional supplement that helps with a number of civilization diseases. The olibanum resin extracts contains many active substances, such as terpenes, but especially boswellic acids, which are known for their anti-inflammatory and disinfecting properties. Boswellic acids have a comparable effect with acetylsalicylic acid in aspirin, but they do not irritate the digestive tract and do not affect blood.

The most important active ingredient of olibanum is 11-keto boswellic acid KBA and AKBA, which inhibits the enzyme 5-lipoxygenase and thus prevents heart attack, stroke, oenological diseases and Alzheimer's disease.

Many scientific studies focus on the possibility of treating arthritis and osteoarthritis with boswellic acid. It acts in the body like nonsteroidal anti-rheumatic drugs, but because it does not inhibit the production of cyclooxygenase-1 (COX-1), it does not have irritating and damaging effects on mucous membranes that cause long-term use of non-steroidal anti-rheumatic drugs.

The anti-inflammatory effect of boswellic acid is epigenetic, which means that boswellic acid affects the activation and inactivation of genes that cause inflammatory processes. It suppresses inflammatory bowel disease and has proven excellent remedy in chronic diarrhea. It helps to keep healthy teeth and gums.

It reduces cholesterol levels in the blood and prevents lipid deposition on the walls of the arteries to protect the cardiovascular system. Boswellia also benefits asthma. It has been shown to protect the brain cells from destruction.

Boswellic acid encourages the activity of the lymphatic system, which will be appreciated by the women which are suffering from cellulitis.

From the cosmetic point of view, the positive effect of Boswellia extract on skin is very important. It affects small wrinkles, restores skin flexibility and reduces sebum production.

Boswelliu can find in our sprays Activ Boswellia spray and Activbody spray.

Literature:

• Simla B. 2005. Phytochemical investigations on Boswellia species. Dissertation. University of Hamburg, Germany. Pp.256
• Paul M. 2012. Chemotaxonomic investigations on resin of the frankiscense of Boswellia serrata. Dissertation. Saarland University, Germany. Pp. 245
• Tucker AO. 1986. Frankincense and Myrrh. Economic Botany 40(4):425-433
• Safayhi H, Mack T, Sabieraj J, Anazodo MI, Subramanian LR, Ammon HP. 1992. Boswellic acids: novel, specific, nonredox inhibitors of 5-lipoxygenase. J Pharmacol Exp Ther 261(3):1143- 1146.
• Ernst E. 2008. Frankincense: systematic review. BMJ 337:a2813
• Ammon HP. 2006. Boswellic acids in chronic inflammatory diseases. Planta Med 72(12):1100-1116.
• Shah BA, Qazi GN, Taneja SC. 2009. Boswellic acids: a group of medicinally important compounds. Nat Prod Rep 26(1):72-89.