Recently Boswellia Serrata (frankincense) has received much attention due to its anti-inflammatory action.the use of this plant is common in the African, Chinese, and Ayurvedic traditional medicines.
It is now used comprehensively in the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis, juvenile rheumatoid arthritis and osteoarthritis. It is also popularly known as Salai Guggal which comes as a powdered extract of the gum resin from Boswellia tree which contains Boswellic Acid. This Salai Guggal contains upto 16% essential oil (mostly alpha-thujene and p-cymene), along with terpenoids and gum.
Four pentacyclic triterpene acids have been identified, the major one being beta-Boswellic Acid (BA), which is bellieved to be the main active principle. An ethanol extract of the gum resin is commonly used as the active substance. the Boswellic acid is shown to inhibit leukotriene biosynthesis. Compounds from the gum with proven anti-inflammatory effects are pentacyclic triterpenes of the BA type. recently the tetracyclic triterpene 3-oxo-tirucallic acid has been identified as a key active principle in Boswellia resin.
BA function as specific, nonredox inhibitors of leukotriene synthesis either interacting directly with 5-lipoxigenase or blocking its translocation. BA are specific, non-reducing type inhibitors of 5-lipoxygenase. in addition to their effects on the lipoxygenase system, certain BA inhibit elastase in leukocytes, inhibit proliferation, induce apoptosis, and inhibit topoisomerases of leukoma and glioma cell lines. A series of chronic infalmmatory diseases are plausibly perpetuated by leukotrienes.
In clinical trials promising results supporting the anti-inflammatory effects of Boswellia extract (BE) were observed in patients with rheumatoid arthritis,chronic colitis, ulcerative colitis, Crohn’s disease, bronchial asthma, and peritumoral brain edema. the enzymatic oxidation of arachidonic acid yields potent pathological agents by two major pathways, prostaglandin and lipoxygenase. The lipoxygenase pathway generates a new class of arachidonic acid oxygenation products, called the leukotrienes which mediates inflammation. unlike the prostaglandins, some of which play important roles as biological regulators, the action of the lipoxygenase products appear to be exclusively of a pathological nature. Thus the anti-lipoxygenase activity of BA are likely to have therapeutic implications.
Another relevant action of Boswellic acids is the inhibition of of enzymes such as leukocyte elastase and hyaluronidase, which degrade the extracellular matrix and contribute to the tissue degeneration processes typical of inflammation.Due to their multiple properties, Boswellic acids are used as analgesic, anti-rheumatic, anti-allergic, anti-histamatic, antiedemic, antileukemic, and anti-tumor agents. its anti-inflammatory properties make it extremely useful in the soothing of skin irritations. in these treatments the inhibitory action of Boswellic acids on metalloproteinases plays a substantial role, since some of these enzymes become activated in case of skin irritation.