Functions of Boswellia Extract-Boswellic Acid
1.Anti-inflammatory, antibacterial
A randomized double-blind study of the efficacy of frankincense extract on adjuvant-induced arthritis rats showed that frankincense extract had significant anti-inflammatory effects, and its mechanism may be related to the inhibition of the production of pro-inflammatory cytokines. Liu Xiangyun et al. studied the anti-inflammatory effects of frankincense and frankincense acid, which were used in the clinical treatment of rheumatoid arthritis cases, with an effective rate of 95% and a cure rate of 85%.
Fig. 3 shows that BA significantly inhibited acute paw edema evoked by carrageenan injection by topical application. Data from the BA treated animals with the doses of 1.25, 2.5 and 3.75 mg/paw (single application) at different time intervals showed significant difference in the paw edema in comparison to the vehicle treated animals at the same time point. The results of the same doses with double application of BA showed better inhibition of the paw swelling. Similarly, when BA applied 45 min before and 1, 2 and 3 h after carrageenan injection the effect was highly significant than the early two conditions (Fig. 4).
2.Treating stomach ulcers
Modern clinical pharmacology studies have shown that frankincense extract can improve the quality of the regenerated mucosal structure in rats with gastric ulcers; reduce the infiltration of neutrophils, lymphocytes, plasma cells, monocytes and macrophages in the lamina propria of the regenerated mucosa of rats with gastric ulcers, and improve the quality of the regenerated mucosal structure in rats with gastric ulcers; it has the effect of increasing the secretion of neutral mucus by regenerated mucosal cells, and improves the functional maturity of the regenerated mucosa in rats with gastric ulcers.
Results of the present study revealed that BA possess a dose dependent antiulcer effect against different experimental models. It showed different degree of inhibition of the ulcer score towards different ulcerogenic agents. The ulcer score against various ulcer inducing agents viz., pyloric ligation, ethanol/HCl, (acute and chronic) acetylsalicylic acid, indomethacin and cold restraint stress, was inhibited by 39%, 38%, 51%, 31%, 37% and 42% respectively at 250 mg/kg.
3.Anti-tumor
Frankincense acid compounds and volatile oils in frankincense have anti-tumor effects such as inhibiting tumor cell proliferation, inducing cell differentiation and apoptosis.
Monotherapy with boswellic acids (250 and 500 mg/kg/day) caused significant decreases in the weight of EAC solid tumor (≈ 46 and 48 % reduction, respectively) in comparison to EAC control group. Morover, combination of doxorubicin with boswellic acids at different doses (125, 250 and 500 mg/kg/day) produced significant reductions in the mass of EAC solid tumor compared with EAC control group, doxorubicin group as well as boswellic acids corresponding monotherapies (Fig. 1A).
4.Improve memory
β-Boswellic acid can promote the growth and branching of hippocampal neuron synapses, significantly improve the growth, branching and microtubule polymerization dynamics of nerve axons, and thus improve memory. Karima et al.'s research results show that strengthening the effect on microtubule polymerization dynamics may be the origin of β-boswellic acid increasing axon growth and branching. They will conduct further research on its complex role in nerves to confirm the improvement of memory by β-boswellic acid.
This study investigated the effects of boswellic acid on spatial learning and memory impairment induced by trimethyltin (TMT) in Wistar rats.Treatment with TMT impaired learning and memory, and treatment with BA at a dose of 160 mg/kg produced a significant improvement in learning and memory abilities in the water maze tasks.
Solutions of Boswellia Extract-Boswellic Acid
