This is Starwest's nitrogen-flushed double wall silverfoil pack.

Grieve's classic 'A Modern Herbal': 'Its principal use now is in the manufacture of incense and pastilles. It is also used in plasters and might be substituted for Balsam of Peru or Balsam of Tolu.'

'The inhalation of steam laden with the volatile portion of the drug is said to relieve bronchitis and laryngitis.'

'The ceremonial incense of the Jews was compounded of four 'sweet scents,' of which pure Frankincense was one, pounded together in equal proportion. It is frequently mentioned in the Pentateuch.'

King's 1898 Dispensatory: 'Olibanum is a stimulant, producing results similar to those from the tolu and Peru balsams; it is principally used as a fumigating article, and occasionally forms an ingredient of plasters. The dose, when used internally, is from 5 to 40 grains, in emulsion.'

Frankincense has some remarkable properites, and has always been used internally in Ayurvedic medicine. To quote some recent research, cited below:

'An alcoholic extract of frankincense gum resin (AESG) was studied in rats and mice with induced localized inflammation and arthritis. AESG showed marked anti-inflammatory and anti-arthritic activity.'

'This is a double-blind, placebo-controlled study of eighty patients with chronic bronchial asthma. Half were treated with a frankincense gum resin preparation for 6 weeks. The other half were treated with a placebo for six weeks. 70% of the gum resin group showed improvement, compared with 27% of patients in the control group. The researchers conclude that frankincense gum resin has a role in the treatment of bronchial asthma.'

'Ulcerative colitis is an inflammatory disease of the colon. Boswellic acids have been shown to inhibit an enzyme that mediates this inflammation. In this study, patients with ulcerative colitis were given frankincense gum resin preparation orally for six weeks. They were than compared with patients receiving sulfasalazine, an appropriate prescription drug. 82% of patients receiving the frankincense preparation went into remission, compared with 75% on the sulfasalazine group.'

http://www.herbmed.org/Herbs/Herb94.htm:

Clinical Trials

Bronchial asthma was reduced in 70% of 40 patients treated with gum resin at 300 mg thrice daily for 6 weeks in a double-blind trial Gupta 1998

Usage of NSAIDs declined 5.8% in the Boswellia group vs. 3.1% in the placebo group but no other benefit was noted in a study with 78 rheumatoid arthritis out-patients taking 9 tablets (3600 mg) Boswellia or placebo daily Sander 1998

Ulcerative colitis (where leukotrienes have been implicated) was put into remission for 82% of the Boswellia gum resin (350 mg thrice daily) group vs. 75% of the sulfasalazine (1 g thrice daily) group after 6 weeks Gupta 1997

Osteoarthritic pain and disability were reduced by a mixture of Withania somnifera roots, Boswellia serrata stem, Curcuma longa rhizomes and a zinc complex in a double-blind trial with 42 patients Kulkarni 1991

Medline: National Library of Medicine:

Frankincense effects on inflammation-uses for joint function:

Singh GB, Atal CK (1986). Pharmacology of an extract of salai guggal ex-Boswellia serrata, a new non-steroidal anti-inflammatory agent. Agents Actions 18(3-4):407-12.

Summary: An alcoholic extract of frankincense gum resin (AESG) was studied in rats and mice with induced localized inflammation and arthritis. AESG showed marked anti-inflammatory and anti-arthritic activity. No analgesic (pain relief) effects were noted.

Reddy GK, Chandrakasan G, Dhar SC (1989). Studies on the metabolism of glycosaminoglycans under the influence of new herbal anti-inflammatory agents. Biochem Pharmacol, 38(20):3527-34.

Summary: Common non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs used for arthritic conditions can cause joint damage by disrupting glycosaminoglycan synthesis. This study compares the effects of frankincense gum resin extract with ketoprofen (an over-the counter anti-inflammatory drug) on glycosaminoglycan in rats. A significant reduction in glycosaminoglycan biosynthesis was observed in rats treated with all of the drugs. The frankincense extract showed significantly less disruption of glycosaminoglycan degradation compared with the control group.

Kulkarni RR, Patki PS, Jog VP, Gandage SG, Patwardhan B (1991). Treatment of osteoarthritis with a herbomineral formulation: a double-blind, placebo-controlled, cross-over study. J Ethnopharmacol, 33(1-2): 91-5.

Summary: This randomized, controlled clinical trial studied the usefulness of an herbomineral formulation containing roots of Withania somnifera, the stem of Boswellia serrata, rhizomes of Curcuma longa and a zinc complex in 42 patients with osteoarthritis. The results showed a significant drop in pain severity and disability. Radiological assessment showed no significant changes.

Duwiejua M, Zeitlin IJ, Waterman PG, Chapman J, Mhango GJ, Provan GJ (1993). Anti-inflammatory activity of resins from some species of the plant family Burseraceae. Planta Med, 59(1):12-6.

Summary: Localized anti-inflammatory actions of various species of frankincense and myrrh were studied in rats. Both the whole plant extract and isolated compounds from the extracts were used and compared. Both had significant anti-inflammatory effects, and an isolate, mansumbinoic acid, significantly reduced joint swelling. The authors concluded that this compound warrants more extensive investigation as an anti-inflammatory agent.

Frankincense effects on inflammation-uses for respiratory function:

Safayhi H, Mack T, Sabieraj J, Anazodo MI, Subramanian LR, Ammon HP (1992). Boswellic acids: novel, specific, nonredox inhibitors of 5-lipoxygenase. J Pharmacol Exp Ther, 261(3):1143-6.

Summary: Boswellic acids were isolated from the gum resin of Boswellia serrata. The study found that boswellic acids are inhibitors of 5-lipoxygenase formation. (This may play a role in inhibiting mucus formation, which may be of help for conditions such as cystic fibrosis, chronic bronchitis, and acute respiratory distress.)

Gupta I, Gupta V, Parihar A, Gupta S, Ludtke R, Safayhi H, Ammon HP (1998). 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, 3(11):511-4.

Summary: This is a double-blind, placebo-controlled study of eighty patients with chronic bronchial asthma. Half were treated with a frankincense gum resin preparation for 6 weeks. The other half were treated with a placebo for six weeks. 70% of the gum resin group showed improvement, compared with 27% of patients in the control group. The researchers conclude that frankincense gum resin has a role in the treatment of bronchial asthma.

Frankincense effects on inflammation-intestinal disorders:

Gupta I, Parihar A, Malhotra P, Singh GB, Ludtke R, Safayhi H, Ammon HP (1997). Effects of Boswellia serrata gum resin in patients with ulcerative colitis. Eur J Med Res, 2(1):37-43.

Summary: Ulcerative colitis is an inflammatory disease of the colon. Boswellic acids have been shown to inhibit an enzyme that mediates this inflammation. In this study, patients with ulcerative colitis were given frankincense gum resin preparation orally for six weeks. They were than compared with patients receiving sulfasalazine, an appropriate prescription drug. 82% of patients receiving the frankincense preparation went into remission, compared with 75% on the sulfasalazine group.

Frankincense effects on inflammation-general:

Michie CA, Cooper E (1991). Frankincense and myrrh as remedies in children. J R Soc Med, 84(10):602-5.

Summary: This historical article presents two cases of therapeutic use of frankincense and myrrh for children's ailments.

Kapil A, Moza N (1992). Anticomplementary activity of boswellic acids--an inhibitor of C3-convertase of the classical complement pathway. Int J Immunopharmacol,14(7):1139-43.

Summary: Boswellic acids were found to inhibit the inflammatory process in vivo (in a test tube) by inhibiting immune response (B cell mediated).

Ammon HP, Safayhi H, Mack T, Sabieraj J (1993). Mechanism of antiinflammatory actions of curcumine and boswellic acids. J Ethnopharmacol, 38(2-3):113-9.

Summary: This paper investigates the mechanism of anti-inflammatory action of boswellic and curcumine acids. Their results suggest that boswellic acids inhibit leukotriene synthesis, a chemical mediator of the inflammatory process.

Safayhi H, Rall B, Sailer ER, Ammon HP (1997). Inhibition by boswellic acids of human leukocyte elastase. J Pharmacol Exp Ther, 281(1):460-3.

Summary: This study researched the pathways of the anti-inflammatory effects of frankincense extract and its biologically active component, boswellic acid. They found substantial inhibition of two proinflammatory enzymes by boswellic acids.

Wildfeuer A, Neu IS, Safayhi H, Metzger G, Wehrmann M, Vogel U, Ammon HP (1998). Effects of boswellic acids extracted from a herbal medicine on the biosynthesis of leukotrienes and the course of experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis. Arzneimittelforschung, 48(6):668-74.

Summary: This study found that boswellic acids were potent inhibitors of leukotrienes, chemical mediators of the inflammatory process and powerful bronchial constrictors. Injection of boswellic acids in guinea pigs with experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis (inflammation of the brain and spinal cord) resulted in a significant reduction in clinical symptoms.

Frankincense effects on tumor growth:

Jing Y, Xia L, Han R (1992). Growth inhibition and differentiation of promyelocytic cells (HL-60) induced by BC-4, and active principle from Boswellia carterii Birdw. Chin Med Sci J, 7(1):12-5.

Summary: This study investigated the effect of a component of frankincense (Bc-4) on human leukemia cells (HL-60), both in the test tube and in mice. They found that HL-60 cell proliferation was inhibited by Bc-4.

Shao Y, Ho CT, Chin CK, Badmaev V, Ma W, Huang MT (1998). Inhibitory activity of boswellic acids from Boswellia serrata against human leukemia HL-60 cells in culture. Planta Med, 64(4):328-31.

Summary: Four different boswellic acids were investigated as anti-tumor agents. All inhibited cellular growth of leukemia cells in the lab in a dose dependent manner.