Web site: "Information
About Herbs, Botanicals and Other Products"
URL: http://www.mskcc.org/aboutherbs
© 2003 Memorial Sloar-Kettering Cancer Center
(Monograph)
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Full Text |
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Barrie Cassileth
and K. Simon Yeung
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Boswellia
(Boswellia
Serrata)
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| Clinical Summary |
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Derived
from the resin of the plant. Boswellia or Indian frankincense is an
ayurvedic herb that is used traditionally to treat arthritis, ulcerative
colitis, coughs, sores, snakebite, hair growth and asthma. The major
components are boswellic acid and alpha-boswellic acid. Animal studies
show that boswellic acid is a potent 5-lipoxygenase inhibitor that has
antiinflammatory and antiarthritic effects. Other studies suggest it also
has cytotoxic activities. Boswellic acid seems to be free of the adverse
effects commonly found in steroids and non-steroidal antiinflammatory
drugs. Preliminary reports indicate boswellia is relative safe. Its
long-term effects on humans is unknown. Although similar in many
functions, boswellia should not be confused with frankincense, guggul or
myrrh.
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| Scientific Name |
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Boswellia
Serrata
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| Also Known As |
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Indian
Frankincense
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| Purported Uses |
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• Arthritis
• Asthma
• Colitis
• Inflammation
• Menstrual
cramps
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| Constituents |
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Boswellic
acid, alpha-boswellic acid.
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| Mechanism Of Action [1], [2], [3], [4],
[5], [6], [7], [8], [9] |
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Boswellic
acid, the major constituent of boswellia, is thought to contribute to most
of the herb's pharmacological activities. Animal models show that
boswellic acid inhibits 5-lipoxygenase selectively and has
antiinflammatory, antiarthritic and antiproliferative effects. Boswellic
acid reduces chemically induced edema and inflammation in rodents.
Unlike other non-steroidal antiinflammatory drugs, however, boswellic acid
fails to show analgesic or antipyretic effects. In addition, it does not
cause gastric ulcers in animals. This suggests that the action of
boswellic acid is through other mechanisms than the inhibition of
prostaglandin synthesis. A clinical study shows that gum resin of
boswellia is as effective as sulfasalazine in treating chronic colitis.
Research on the cytotoxic effects of boswellic acid indicate that it
induces p21 expression through a p53-independent pathway and causes
apoptosis in glioma and leukemia cell lines. One study suggests that
acetyl-boswellic acids can inhibit topoisomerases by competiting with DNA
for binding sites.
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Pharmacokinetics
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Two
to three hours after an oral dose of 1.2 gm dry extract boswellia gum
resin, plasma concentrations were measured at 10 to 32 micromolar of
11-keto-beta-boswellic acid and 18 to 20 micromolar of
acetyl-11-keto-beta-boswellic acid.
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| Literature Summary And Critique |
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Gupta
I, et al. Effects
of gum resin of Boswellia serrata in patients with chronic colitis. Planta
Med 2001;67:391-5.
Thirty patients with chronic colitis were included in this study. Twenty
patients received 300 mg of gum resin of boswellia three times daily for 6
weeks. Ten patients received one gram of sulfasalazine three times daily
for 6 weeks. 90% of the patients treated with boswellia showed an
improvement as compared to 60% of the patients treated with sulfasalazine.
The author concluded that the gum resin of boswellia could be used to
treat chronic colitis with minimal side effects, but larger studies are
needed to establish its efficacy and long-term safety.
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| References |
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[1] Dhamen
U, et al. Boswellic
acid, a potent antiinflammatory drug, inhibits rejection to the same
extent as high dose steroids. Transplant
Proc
2001;33:539-41.
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[2] Singh
GB, et al. Pharmacology
of an extract of salai guggal ex-Boswellia serrata, a new non-steroidal
anti-inflammatory agent. Agents
Actions
1986;18:407-12.
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[3] Gupta
I, et al. Effects
of gum resin of Boswellia serrata in patients with chronic colitis. Planta
Med 2001;67:391-5. |
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[4] Safayhi
H, et al. Boswellic acids: novel, specific, nonredox inhibitors of
5-lipoxygenase. J Pharmacol Exp Ther 1992;261:1143-6.
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[5]
Safayhi
H, et al. Concentration-dependent
potentiating and inhibitory effects of Boswellia extracts on
5-lipoxygenase product formation in stimulated PMNL. Planta Med
2000;66:110-3.
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[6]
Syrovets
T, et al. Acetyl-boswellic
acids are novel catalytic inhibitors of human topoisomerases I and IIalpha.
Mol Pharmacol 2000;58:71-81.
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[7]
Winking
M, et al. Boswellic acids inhibit glioma growth: a new treatment option? J
Neurooncol
2000;46:97-103.
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[8]
Glaser
T, et al. Boswellic
acids and malignant glioma: induction of apoptosis but no modulation of
drug sensitivity. Br J Cancer 1999;80:756-65. |
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[9]
Jing
Y, et al. Boswellic
acid acetate induces differentiation and apoptosis in leukemia cell lines.
Leuk Res 1999;23:43-50. |
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| Written |
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12/24/2002 |
| Updated |
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01/13/2003
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Disclaimer: http://www.mskcc.org/mskcc/print/11790.cfm |
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Source:
http://www.mskcc.org/mskcc/html/11571.cfm?RecordID=580 |
