Boswellia: systematic review of in vitro, in vivo, and clinical research
The genus Boswellia includes small/medium sized shrubs or trees that are attracting constant interest from the scientific community for their potential health-promoting uses.
This review aimed to define a kind of “map” of research conducted on this botanical genus, with the goal of identifying the potential for translation of research findings into different areas of health and wellness.
The systematic search was conducted on major medical-scientific databases to identify published in vitro, in vivo, and clinical studies on Boswellia species and extracts broadly covering all health conditions or diseases. 5,296 articles and a total of 657 relevant searches were found: 297 (45.2%) were in vitro studies, 236 (40.0%) in vivo studies, and 68 papers (10.3%) reported clinical studies. Most of the studies involved the two botanical species Boswellia serrata and Boswellia sacra.
Specifically for Boswellia serrata, an oleoresin-rich plant with a resinous fraction composed mainly of triterpenes, gummoresin represents the drug of the plant and contains essential oil (16%), the main constituents of which are a-tujene and p-cymene and pentacyclic triterpene acids (50%), referred to as boswellic acids: β- boswellic acid, keto-β-boswellic acid, acetyl-11-keto-β-boswellic acid, and 3-oxo- tirucallic acid.
The health areas most frequently examined appear to be neoplasms, the inflammatory and immune systems, and infections.
In vitro and animal studies were found to be far more numerous than those conducted in humans. Specifically in the area of oncological disease, four clinical studies have been published, all concerning edema in subjects with brain tumors.
A small preliminary study showed promising results, and a subsequent randomized controlled trial (2011) reported beneficial effects of Boswellia serrata in this malignancy. No clinical trials on other cancers were identified, except for a triaI concerning the prevention, using a Boswellia cream, of radiation therapy-induced skin damage (radiodermatitis) in women with breast cancer.
More numerous were the clinical trials on osteoarthritis, all with control group and randomized to seven cases, most of which reported positive or promising results following the use of Boswellia preparations.
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Source: Pilkington K, Pilkington GH. Boswel/ia: Systematically scoping the in vitro, in vivo and clinica/ research, European Journal of Integrative Medicine, Volume 56, 2022, 702797, ISSN 7876-3820.
