AYURVEDIC BOTANICALS
Joint & Ligament Support
Traditional Use
The plant, Boswellia, yields a gum known in India as salaki. Traditionally,
it has been used to mitigate rheumatic pains, as an expectorant and as
a natural remedy for diarrhea and dysentery.
The gum-resin of Boswellia contains isomers of alpha, beta and 11-keto Boswellic Acid, and some acetyl derivatives. It also contains essential oils, terpinols, arabinose, xylose, galactose, uranic and beta sitisterin.
Effect of Inflammation
Ethanolic extracts of the resin can reduce carrageenin induced paw edema
in normal rat and mice as well as in adrenalectomized rats. Furthermore,
the extracts produced antiarthritic activity in formaldehyde and adjuvant
induced arthritis in rats, BSA induced arthritis in rabbit, but did not
produce analgesic or antipyretic effects (1,2).
Prostaglandins and leukotriens are two classes of arachidonic acid derived mediators of inflammation. Cyclooxygenase product PGE2 mediates pain and edema, while PGF2a mediates VSO and bronchoconstriction, and PGE1 induces fever and pain. The leukotriene pathway in which 5-lipooxygenase is the key enzyme, is considered to be involved in initiation and maintenance of various inflammatory disease, e.g. rheumatic arthritis, Crohn's disease, ulcerative colitis, bronchial asthma, psoriasis and anaphylactic shock.
Boswellia potently blocked the synthesis of S-lipooxygenase, thereby stopping the triggering of the inflammatory process.
According to another study, the resin showed immunomodulatory effects. It inhibited the infiltration of polymorphonuclear leukocytes and reduced pleural exudates in carrageenin induced inflammation in rats with no cytotoxic effects (3).
The clinical efficacy of Boswellia has been evaluated in a double blind, crossover, placebo controlled study. Forty-two patients with osteoarthritis were given a combination of boswellia, Withaneia somnifera, Curcuma longa and zinc complex for 3 months. Clinical efficacy was evaluated every fortnight on the basis of severity of pain, morning stiffness, Ritchie articular index, joint score, disability score an grip strength. Other parameters like ESR and radiological studies were done.
Treatment with Boswellia produced a significant drop in severity of pain, but no significant radiologic changes noted (4).
Boswellia does not reduce connective tissue synthesis:
The in vivo effect of an herbal based, non-steroidal anti-inflammatory product, salai guggal, prepared from the gum resin exudates of Boswellia and its active principle "Boswellic acids" on glycosaminoglycan metabolism has been studied in male albino rats. The biosynthesis of sulfated glycosaminoglycans, as evaluated by the uptake of [35S] sulfate, and the content of glycosaminoglycans were measured in specimens of skin, liver, kidney and spleen. Statistical analysis of the data obtained with respect to the Boswellic acids and Salai guggal were compared with those of ketoprofen.
A significant reduction in glycosaminoglycan biosynthesis was observed in rats treated with all of the drugs. Glycosaminoglycan content was found to be decreased in the ketoprofen-treated group, whereas that of the Boswellic acids or Salai guggal treated groups remained unaltered.
The catabolism of glycosaminoglycans was followed by estimating the activities of lysosomal glycohydrolases, namely beta-glycyronidase, beta-N-acetyl-glycosaminidase, cathepsin B1, cathepsin B2 and cathepsin D, in tissues and by estimating the urinary excretion and hexosamine and uronic acid.
Boswellia did not inhibit the synthesis of connective tissue and allowed tissue recovery while the other drugs inhibited regeneration.
REFERENCES
1. Safayhi, H., et al.. Department of Pharmacology, University of Tuebingen,
FRG. Boswellic acids: novel, specific, nonredox inhibitors of S-lipooxygenase.
J. Pharmacol. Exp. Ther. 1992. June 261 (3). pp 1143-6.
2. Ammon, H.P., Mack T., Sigh, G.B., Safayhi, H., Department of Pharmacology, University of Tuebingen, FRG. Inhibition of leukotriene B4 formation in rat peritoneal neutrophils by an ethanolic extract of the gum resin exudates f Boswellia serrata, Planta. Med. 1991, Jun 57(3), pp 203-7.
3. Reddy, G.K., Chandrakasan, G., Dhar. S.C., Department of Biochemistry, Central Leather Research Institute, Madras, India. Effect of Salai guggal, Boswellia serrata on cellular and humoral immune responses and leucocyte migration. Agents Actions. 1988, Jun. 24(1-2), pp 1614.
4. Sen, A.K. Sr., Das, A. K., Baneji, N., Vignon, M.R. Department of Organic Chemistry (Carbohydrate), Indian Institute of Chemical Biology, Jadavpur, Calcutta. Isolation and structure of 4-o-methyl-glucuronoarabinogalactan from Boswellia serrata. Carbohydr. Res. 1992, Jar! 223, pp 321-7.
Traditionally, Boswellia has been used to mitigate rheumatic pains, as an expectorant and as a natural remedy for diarrhea & dysentery. In addition, Boswellia does not inhibit the synthesis of connective tissue and allows tissue recovery while other drugs inhibit regeneration.