Analysis of Boswellic Acid Contents and Related Pharmacological Activities of Frankincense-Based Remedies That Modulate Inflammation

Abstract

Extracts of frankincense, the gum resin of Boswellia species, have been extensively used in traditional folk medicine since ancient times and are still of great interest as promising anti-inflammatory remedies in Western countries. Despite their common therapeutic use and the intensive pharmacological research including studies on active ingredients, modes of action, bioavailability, pharmacokinetics, and clinical efficacy, frankincense preparations are available as nutraceuticals but have not yet approved as a drug on the market. A major issue of commercially available frankincense nutraceuticals is the striking differences in their composition and quality, especially related to the content of boswellic acids (BAs) as active ingredients, mainly due to the use of material from divergent Boswellia species but also because of different work-up and extraction procedures. Here, we assessed three frequently used frankincense-based preparations for their BA content and the interference with prominent pro-inflammatory actions and targets that have been proposed, that is, 5-lipoxygenase and leukotriene formation in human neutrophils, microsomal prostaglandin E2 synthase-1, and inflammatory cytokine secretion in human blood monocytes. Our data reveal striking differences in the pharmacological efficiencies of these preparations in inflammation-related bioassays which obviously correlate with the amounts of BAs they contain. In summary, high-quality frankincense extracts display powerful anti-inflammatory effectiveness against multiple targets which can be traced back to BAs as bioactive ingredients.

Analysis of the Anti-Inflammatory and Anti-Osteoarthritic Potential of Flonat Fast®, a Combination of Harpagophytum Procumbens DC. ex Meisn., Boswellia Serrata Roxb., Curcuma longa L., Bromelain and Escin (Aesculus hippocastanum), Evaluated in In Vitro Models of Inflammation Relevant to Osteoarthritis

“…Boswellia serrata is a plant that produces a resin traditionally used to alleviate OA [ 42 ]. Exposure of cartilage explants and human articular chondrocytes to BS has been shown to inhibit collagen matrix degradation via a mechanism involving the reduction of MMP-9 and MMP-13 expression [ 43 ], and recent evidence suggests anti-inflammatory activities in human monocytes as well [ 44 ]. C is a spice whose medicinal properties have been known for thousands of years [ 45 ].…”

Evaluation of stability and determination of shelf life of an herbal food supplement: Naturovita

“…20 mg of the sample was weighed and transferred in to a 10 ml volumetric flask, to which 6 ml of methanol was added and allowed to sonicate for 30 mins. The solution was cooled to room temperature and filtered using 0.45 µm nylon syringe filter [27] .…”

Acetyl‐11‐keto‐β‐boswellic Acid Confers Protection in DSS‐Induced Colitis via the JNK–p38 MAPK and NF‐κB Signaling Pathways

“…[36,37] Boswellic acid can effectively control the activity of 5-lipoxygenase and reduce the formation of inflammatory factors, thereby exerting the anti-inflammatory effect of frankincense. [38] The group of compounds from the boswellic acid family mainly includes α-boswellic acid, β-boswellic acid, the derivative ethanolactic acid, and AKBA. [39] Because AKBA has strong activity, both the scope of research and application and the contrast of other boswellic-acid-based compounds are more extensive.…”