Boswellia serrata

 

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Clinical Studies
References


The applicable part of Boswellia is the resin. The principle constituents are boswellic acids, which has anti-inflammatory properties. It shows anti-inflammatory and anti-arthritis effects. Boswellic acids inhibit 5-lipoxygenase and leukotriene synthesis, and inhibit leukocyte elastase, which are the likely mechanisms for its anti-inflammatory properties. Boswellic acids also might have disease modifying effect, decreasing glycosaminoglycan degradation and cartilage damage. It may also inhibit mediators of autoimmune disorders. It seems to reduce production of antibodies and cell-mediated immunity. Boswellia is used for osteoarthritis, rheumatoid arthritis (RA), rheumatism, bursitis and tendonitis.

 

 

Published Clinical Studiescl top

Dietary support with Boswellia resin in canine inflammatory joint and spinal disease.1

Reichling J, Schmokel H, Fitzi J, Bucher S, Saller R.

 

Institut fur Pharmazie und Molekulare Biotechnologie (IPMB), Abteilung Biologie, Ruprecht-Karls-University Heidelberg, Germany. Juergen.Reichling@t-online.de

An open multi-centre veterinary clinical trial, comparing conditions before and after treatment with a herbal dietary supplement consisting of a natural resin extract of Boswellia serrata, was conducted by 10 practicing veterinarians in Switzerland. This traditional plant-based supplement is known for its anti-rheumatic and anti-inflammatory properties. 29 dogs with manifestations of chronic joint and spinal disease were enrolled. Osteoarthritis and degenerative conditions were confirmed radiologically in 25 of 29 cases. The resin extract (BSB108, product of Bogar AG) was administered with the regular food at a dose of 400 mg/10 kg body weight once daily for 6 weeks. Already after two weeks of treatment, an overall efficacy of the dietary supplement was evident in 71% of 24 eligible dogs. A statistically significant reduction of severity and resolution of typical clinical signs in individual animals, such as intermittent lameness, local pain and stiff gait, were reported after 6 weeks. Effects of external factors that aggravate lameness, such as "lameness when moving" and "lameness after a long rest" diminished gradually. In 5 dogs, reversible brief episodes of diarrhea and flatulence occurred, but only once was a relationship to the study preparation suspected. Because quality and stability of the resin extract were ensured, these data suggest that a standardized preparation can be recommended as a herbal dietary supplement providing symptomatic support in canine osteoarthritic disease.

Publication Types:

PMID: 14994484 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]

 

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 2
Efficacy and tolerability of Boswellia serrata extract in treatment of osteoarthritis of knee--a randomized double blind placebo controlled trial.

Kimmatkar N, Thawani V, Hingorani L, Khiyani R.

 

MS Orthopedics, Indira Gandhi Medical College, Nagpur, India.

Osteoarthritis is a common, chronic, progressive, skeletal, degenerative disorder, which commonly affects the knee joint. Boswellia serrata tree is commonly found in India. The therapeutic value of its gum (guggulu) has been known. It posses good anti-inflammatory, anti-arthritic and analgesic activity. A randomized double blind placebo controlled crossover study was conducted to assess the efficacy, safety and tolerability of Boswellia serrata Extract (BSE) in 30 patients of osteoarthritis of knee, 15 each receiving active drug or placebo for eight weeks. After the first intervention, washout was given and then the groups were crossed over to receive the opposite intervention for eight weeks. All patients receiving drug treatment reported decrease in knee pain, increased knee flexion and increased walking distance. The frequency of swelling in the knee joint was decreased. Radiologically there was no change. The observed differences between drug treated and placebo being statistically significant, are clinically relevant. BSE was well tolerated by the subjects except for minor gastrointestinal ADRs. BSE is recommended in the patients of osteoarthritis of the knee with possible therapeutic use in other arthritis.

Publication Types:

PMID: 12622457 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]

 

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 3
[Boswellic acids (components of frankincense) as the active principle in treatment of chronic inflammatory diseases]

Ammon HP.

 

Lehrstuhl Pharmakologie fur Naturwissenschaftler, Pharmazeutisches Institut der Universitat Tubingen, Deutschland. sekretariat.ammon@uni-tuebingen.de

Preparations from the gum resin of Boswellia serrata have been used as a traditional remedy in Ayurvedic medicine in India for the treatment of inflammatory diseases. Compounds from the gum with genuine antiinflammatory effects are pentacyclic triterpenes of the boswellic acid type. Boswellic acids inhibit the leukotriene biosynthesis in neutrophilic granulocytes by a non-redox, noncompetitive inhibition of 5-lipoxygenase. The effect is triggered by boswellic acids binding to the enzyme. Moreover certain boswellic acids have been described to inhibit elastase in leukocytes, to inhibit proliferation, induce apoptosis and to inhibit topoisomerases of leukoma- and glioma cell lines. A series of chronic inflammatory diseases are thought to be perpetuated by leukotrienes. In clinical trials promising results were observed in patients with rheumatoid arthritis, chronic colitis, ulcerative colitis, Crohn's disease, bronchial asthma und peritumoral brains edemas.

Publication Types:

PMID: 12244881 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]

 

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 4
Pharmacology of an extract of salai guggal ex-Boswellia serrata, a new non-steroidal anti-inflammatory agent.

Singh GB, Atal CK.

 

Pharmacological evaluation of alcoholic extract of salai guggal (AESG) has been carried out in experimental animals. AESG displayed marked anti-inflammatory activity in carrageenan induced oedema in rats and mice and dextran oedema in rats. It was equally effective in adrenalectomised rats. In formaldehyde and adjuvant arthritis, AESG produced prominent anti-arthritic activity but no significant effect was observed in cotton pellet-induced granuloma test. It inhibited inflammation induced increase in serum transaminase levels and leucocyte counts but lacked any analgesic or anti-pyretic effects. The gestation period or parturition time in pregnant rats or onset time of castor oil-induced diarrhoea was unaffected by AESG and no significant effect was seen on cardiovascular, respiratory and central nervous system functions. No ulcerogenic effects were found in the rat stomach. The oral and intraperitoneal LD50 was greater than 2 g/Kg in mice and rats.

PMID: 3751752 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]

 

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Referencesre

  1. Ammon HP, Safayhi H, Mack T, Sabieraj J. Mechanism of antiinflammatory actions of curcumine and boswellic acids. J Ethnopharmacol 1993;38:1139.
  2. Gupta I, Gupta V, Parihar A, et al. Effects of Boswellia serrata gum resin in patients with bronchial asthma: results of a double-blind, placebo-controlled, 6-week clinical study. Eur J Med Res 1998;3:511-4.
  3. Gupta I, Parihar A, Malhotra P, et al. Effects of Boswellia serrata gum resin in patients with ulcerative colitis. Eur J Med Res 1997;2:37-43.
  4. FDA. Center for Food Safety and Applied Nutrition, Office of Premarket Approval, EAFUS: A food additive database. Available at: vm.cfsan.fda.gov/~dms/eafus.html.
  5. Kimmatkar N, Thawani V, Hingorani L, et al. Efficacy and tolerability of Boswellia serrata extract in treatment of osteoarthritis of knee--a randomized double blind placebo controlled trial. Phytomedicine 2003;10:3-7.
  6. Sander O, Herborn G, Rau R. [Is H15 (resin extract of Boswellia serrata, "incense") a useful supplement to established drug therapy of chronic polyarthritis? Results of a double-blind pilot study]. [Article in German]. Z Rheumatol 1998;57:11-6.
  7. Etzel R. Special extract of Boswellia serrata (H 15) in the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis. Phytomedicine 1996;3:91-4.
  8. Liu JJ, Nilsson A, Oredsson S, et al. Boswellic acids trigger apoptosis via a pathway dependent on caspase-8 activation but independent on Fas/Fas ligand interaction in colon cancer HT-29 cells. Carcinogenesis 2002;23:2087-93.
  9. Gerhardt H, Seifert F, Buvari P, et al. [Therapy of active Crohn disease with Boswellia serrata extract H 15]. [Article in German]. Z Gastroenterol 2001;39:11-17.
  10. Wildfeuer A, Neu IS, Safayhi H, et al. Effects of boswellic acids extracted from a herbal medicine on the biosynthesis of leukotrienes and the course of experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis. Arzneimittelforschung 1998;48:668-74.
  11. Gupta I, Parihar A, Malhotra P, et al. Effects of gum resin of Boswellia serrata in patients with chronic colitis. Planta Med 2001;67:391-5.
  12. Pungle P, Banavalikar M, Suthar A, et al. Immunomodulatory activity of boswellic acids of Boswellia serrata Roxb. Indian J Exp Biol 2003;41:1460-2.
  13. Dahmen U, Gu YL, Dirsch O, et al. Boswellic acid, a potent antiinflammatory drug, inhibits rejection to the same extent as high dose steroids. Transplant Proc 2001;33:539-41.
  14. Sharma S, Thawani V, Hingorani L, et al. Pharmacokinetic study of 11-Keto beta-Boswellic acid. Phytomedicine 2004;11:255-60.
  15. Acebo E, Raton JA, Sautua S, et al. Allergic contact dermatitis from Boswellia serrata extract in a naturopathic cream. Contact Dermatitis 2004;51:91-2.
  16. Culioli G, Mathe C, Archier P, Vieillescazes C. A lupane triterpene from frankincense (Boswellia sp., Burseraceae). Phytochemistry 2003;62:537-41.