Latin Name: Boswellia Serrata
Synonyms: AKBA, Boswellia carterii, Boswellia dalziellii, Boswellia frereana, Boswellia ovalifoliolata, Boswellia papyrifera, Boswellia sacra, Boswellia serrata, Boswellia serrata gum resins, Boswellia serrate resin extract, furankinsensu (Japanese), ru xian
Part of Used: Root
Specifications: 10:1, Boswellia Acid 45%-75%
Appearance: Off-white to light yellow fine powder
Application: Medicine, food additive, dietary supplement
What is Boswellia serrata Extract?
Boswellia (Boswellia serrata) is also known as boswella, Indian frankincense, or shallaki. An extract of the plant’s gum resin is sometimes called boswellin. Boswellin was historically burned as incense. Boswella also used in Ayurveda and Traditional Chinese Medicine remedies.
Extracts from Boswellia serrata, a similar species to the variety famous for its role in the Christian nativity, were tested on dozens of patients.
Those who received it reported better movement and less pain and stiffness.
The herb has been used for thousands of years in Chinese medicine, reports the journal Arthritis Research and Therapy.
Current treatments carry a great many adverse effects, and scientists have been hunting for an alternative.
The investigation into the properties of Boswellia serrata was led by Dr Siba Raychaudhuri at the University of California, Davis.
Eventually they tested an extract of the plant enriched with the chemical - AKBA - thought to be its active ingredient.
Some of the 70 patients with severe arthritis in their knees recruited into the trial were given a low-dose capsule, some a higher dose capsule, and the remainder were given a dummy pill with no active ingredients.
In as little as seven days, patients taking the frankincense drug reported improvements in their pain and stiffness levels compared with the placebo group, and these continued until the 90-day mark, when the study ended.
Tests of the fluid within affected joints also revealed falls in levels of enzymes linked to the condition.