Boswellic Acid health benefit

Boswellic acids are a pentacyclic triterpene molecules which are produced by plants in the genus Boswellia. Boswellic acids appear in the resin of the plant which exudes them; it is estimated that they make up 30% of the resin of Boswellia serrata.

Chemical activity of boswellic acids
Boswellic acids are the principle anti-inflammatory agents of Boswellia species. Boswellic acidss inhibit leukotriene biosynthesis and 5-lipoxygenase. Boswellic acids also interfere with platelet-type 12-lipoxygenase and inhibit COX-1 product formation in intact human platelets as well as the activity of isolated COX-1 enzyme in cell-free assays.

Boswellic acid and glucosamine may work better together
Boswellic acids and glucosamine show synergistic effect in preclinical anti-inflammatory study in rats.
Bioorg Med Chem Lett. 2007 July. Singh S, Khajuria A, Taneja SC, Khajuria RK, Singh J, Qazi GN. Department of Pharmacology, Indian Institute of Integrative Medicine, Canal Road Jammu Tawi, Jammu and Kashmir 180001, India.
The present study revealed the synergistic effect of boswellic acid mixture and glucosamine for anti-inflammatory and anti-arthritic activities in rats. Two studies were conducted, that is, acute anti-inflammatory by carrageenan edema and chronic anti-arthritic by Mycobacterium-induced developing arthritis. Five groups of animals were included in each of the study: the vehicle control, positive control (ibuprofen 100mg/kg), boswellic acids (250 mg/kg), glucosamine (250 mg/kg) and a combination of boswellic acids (125 mg/kg) and glucosamine (125 mg/kg). Boswellic acids when administered at 250 mg/kg in rats, carrageenan-induced paw edema and Mycobacterium-induced developing arthritis were significantly inhibited. In comparison to boswellic acids, glucosamine when administered at 250 mg/kg showed a mild effect in carrageenan-induced edema and moderate inhibition of paw swelling against developing arthritis. Although the combination of boswellic acids and glucosamine did not affect the acute inflammation to a greater extent yet a significant anti-arthritic activity was observed in rats. In conclusion, a synergistic effect was observed in chronic inflammatory conditions when boswellic acids and glucosamine were administered in combination in preclinical study.

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