Analgesic effects of crude extracts and fractions of Omani frankincense obtained from traditional medicinal plant Boswellia sacra on animal models

Assessment of depth of penetration and antibiofilm properties of Boswellia sacra compared with calcium hydroxide intracanal medicament (in vitro study)

Successful endodontic treatment requires advanced materials to eliminate biofilm This study aims to assess the penetration depth and the effectiveness of Boswellia sacra as a novel intracanal medicament compared with calcium hydroxide against Enterococcus faecalis biofilm. 60 single-rooted teeth were decoronated, prepared and sterilised. Fifty teeth were contaminated with a culture of E. faecalis (ATCC 19433) for 21 days. Two teeth were used to confirm the biofilm using scanning electron microscope. For colony-forming unit (CFU), 40 samples were divided into one control group (calcium hydroxide) and the other experimental group (B. sacra). Each group was divided into two subgroups to be tested at 3 and 7 days. The minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) of B. sacra was determined, and the B. sacra's ethanolic extract medicament was prepared. Eight discs divided into groups similar to CFU were used to evaluate live/dead bacteria using confocal laser scanning microscopy (CLSM). Ten teeth were selected for penetration depth using CLSM. The intracanal medicaments were mixed with 0.1% rhodamine B. were inserted into the root canals 0.2 slices were dissected and viewed under CLSM. The MIC of B. sacra was 1.25 mg/ml. The CFU evaluation proved that B. sacra are more effective than calcium hydroxide in the 3 days groups. However, it was statistically insignificant compared with calcium hydroxide after 7 days. The depth of penetration of B. sacra exceeds that of calcium hydroxide. B. sacra is an effective intracanal medicament.

Ethnoveterinary Uses of Certain Yemeni Plants: A Review of the Scientific Evidence

Livestock is an important and integral component of agriculture production in Yemen and contributes 28% of the total agricultural production income. Research in the field of Yemeni ethnoveterinary medicine is limited to a few studies. Therefore, our work aims to substantiate scientifically the ethnoveterinary use of some documented plant species based on a literature review of their bioactivities and toxicological properties. Searching the scientific literature has revealed various pharmacological activities that may support the claimed healing activities of 11 out of 14 plant species for some of their ethnoveterinary utilization. This comprises the use of Aloe spp. latex for constipation, worms, boils, and wounds; Boswellia sacra underbark for wounds and its oleo-gum resin for mastitis; Soqotraen Boswellia species as an insect repellent; Cissus rotundifolia for stomach pain; Cyphostemma digitatum as an appetite stimulant; Psiadia punctulate for bone fracture; Pulicaria undulata as an insect repellent; combinations of Aristolochia bracteolate with Sorghum bicolor grains for bloating; Rumex nervosus and salt for eye pimples; and Trigonella foenum-graecum seeds with Hordeum vulgare grains for constipation. Some plants were found to demonstrate various toxic effects in in vivo and in vitro experimental studies. The local administration of Calotropis procera latex was also reported to induce an intense inflammatory response. It can be concluded that our work has provided valuable scientific information on the biological and toxic activities of some Yemeni ethnoveterinary remedies that could be utilized for the benefit of farmers to ration the use of these remedies and avoiding their toxicity.

Taxonomical Investigation, Chemical Composition, Traditional Use in Medicine, and Pharmacological Activities of Boswellia sacra Flueck

Aromatic oleo-gum-resin secreted from B. sacra, reputed as frankincense, is widely used in traditional medicine to treat Alzheimer’s disease, gastric disorders, hepatic disorders, etc. Frankincense is also used in the cosmetic, perfume, and beverage and food industries. Frankincense is a rich resource for bioactive compounds, especially boswellic acids and derivatives. Although several reports have described frankincense’s constituents and pharmacological activities, there is no comprehensive study that covers the valuable information on this species. Therefore, the current review will focus on the phytochemistry, traditional uses, and pharmacological activities of B. sacra.

Molecular evidences on anti-inflammatory, anticancer, and memory-boosting effects of frankincense

Chemical diversity of natural products with drug-like features has attracted much attention from medicine to develop more safe and effective drugs. Their anti-inflammatory, antitumor, analgesic, and other therapeutic properties are sometimes more successful than chemical drugs in controlling disease due to fewer drug resistance and side effects and being more tolerable in a long time. Frankincense, the oleo gum resin extracted from the Boswellia species, contains some of these chemicals. The anti-inflammatory effect of its main ingredient, boswellic acid, has been traditionally used to treat many diseases, mainly those target memory functions. In this review, we have accumulated research evidence from the beneficial effect of Frankincense consumption in memory improvement and the prevention of inflammation and cancer. Besides, we have discussed the molecular pathways mediating the therapeutic effects of this natural supplement.

Prevention of post-surgical adhesion bands by local administration of frankincense n-hexane extract

Background

and purpose: The formation of postoperative intra-abdominal adhesion band formation may lead to severe complications. This study aimed to evaluate the preventive effect of local administration of frankincense n-hexane extract (FHE) on the formation of postsurgical adhesion bands.

Materials and methods

FHE was extracted from the resin of a Boswellia sacra tree and its components were identified by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS). In an animal model, the expression levels of TNF-α and TGF-β1 cytokines after application of FHE were assessed to check the inflammatory and fibrotic cues, respectively.

Results

Following FHE compound analysis, in vivo experiments demonstrated that intraoperative local administration of FHE resulted in the prevention of adhesion band formation. The adhesion grades in the FHE-treated group were significantly lower than those in the negative control (NC) and the positive control (Interceed). The infiltration of inflammatory cells observed by histopathology revealed a significant anti-inflammatory potential of FHE. Furthermore, the gene expression results proved that significant suppression of TNF-α and TGF-β1 was responsible for its antiadhesion properties.

Conclusions

The study reported the potential of FHE as an ointment for the prevention of adhesion bands.

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Recognition of compounds with anti-inflammatory, antifibrotic activities in FHE using gas chromatography-mass spectrometry.

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The avoidance of adhesion bands formation, in vivo following intraoperative local administration of FHE.

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A notable anti-inflammatory potential of FHE detected by histopathology results.

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Approving the regulation of TNF-α and TGF-β1 involved in the intra-abdomen adhesion preventive properties of FHE.

Evaluation of the solubility of 11-keto-β-boswellic acid and its histological effect on the diabetic mice liver using a novel technique

Background and Aim:

The literature is scant on the effect of 11-keto-β-boswellic acid (KBA) on the liver of diabetes-induced mice. This study was designed to develop a rapid, sensitive, accurate, and inexpensive detection technique for evaluating the solubility of KBA obtained from the gum resin of Omani frankincense (Boswellia sacra) in the liver of streptozotocin-induced diabetic mice using Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) reflectance spectroscopy coupled with principal components analysis (PCA). It also aimed to investigate the effect of KBA on histological changes in the hepatocytes of diabetic mice.

Materials and Methods:

Eighteen mice were assigned to the healthy control group, the diabetic control group, or the KBA-treated diabetic group. Liver tissue samples from all groups were scanned using an FTIR reflectance spectrophotometer in reflection mode. FTIR reflectance spectra were collected in the wavenumber range of 400-4000 cm⁻¹ using an attenuated total reflectance apparatus.

Results:

FTIR reflectance spectra were analyzed using PCA. The PCA score plot, which is an exploratory multivariate data set, revealed complete segregation among the three groups’ liver samples based on changes in the variation of wavenumber position in the FTIR reflectance spectra, which indicated a clear effect of KBA solubility on treatments. Histological analysis showed an improvement in the liver tissues, with normal structures of hepatocytes exhibiting mild vacuolation in their cytoplasm.

Conclusion:

KBA improved the morphology of liver tissues in the diabetic mice and led to complete recovery of the damage observed in the diabetic control group. FTIR reflectance spectroscopy coupled with PCA could be deployed as a rapid, low-cost, and non-destructive detection method for evaluating treatment effects in diseased liver tissue based on the solubility of KBA.

An Evidence-based Review of Medicinal Plants used in Traditional Persian Medicine for Treatment of Osteoarthritis

Osteoarthritis (OA) is known to be the leading cause of pain and disability in the elderly. The prevalence of this disease in adults over 60 years was 9.6% in men and 18% in women. The therapeutic goals of this disease generally include pain relief with the least side effects, improvement of articular function and improvement of life, in which pharmacological and nonpharmacological treatments are performed in different protocols. Due to the common side effects of pain relievers and complaints after invasive joint surgeries, there is a growing interest in the use of Traditional and Complementary protocols in OA treatment. In this paper, different sources of Traditional Persian Medicine (TPM) were searched to obtain any evidence evaluating any medicinal plants in the management of OA. Over 250 effective medicinal plants for the treatment of OA have been introduced in these sources, and by searching electronic databases including PubMed and Scopus, we have found that of these plants, 39 have direct or indirect evidence in the treatment of this complication by different mechanism of actions such as effect on Body mass index (BMI), obesity and dyslipidemia, anti-inflammatory, anti-nociceptive and antioxidant activity. The most important medicinal plants with direct evidence in the management of OA are Allium sativum, Commiphora mukul, Linum usitatissimum, Matricaria chamomilla, Nigella sativa, Zingiber officinale, and Piper nigrum. Medicinal plants seem to be a valuable source for discovering and identifying new drugs for treatment of OA; however, since most of the studies are preclinical, further clinical trials are required to achieve more conclusive results.

Anti-inflammatory and anti-cancer activities of frankincense: Targets, treatments and toxicities

The oleogum resins of Boswellia species known as frankincense have been used for ages in traditional medicine in India, China and the Arabian world independent of its use for cultural and religious rituals in Europe. During the past two decades, scientific investigations provided mounting evidence for the therapeutic potential of frankincense. We conducted a systematic review on the anti-inflammatory and anti-cancer activities of Boswellia species and their chemical ingredients (e.g. 3-O-acetyl-11-keto-β boswellic acid, α- and β-boswellic acids, 11-keto-β-boswellic acid and other boswellic acids, lupeolic acids, incensole, cembrenes, triterpenediol, tirucallic acids, and olibanumols). Frankincense acts by multiple mechanisms, e.g. by the inhibition of leukotriene synthesis, of cyclooxygenase 1/2 and 5-lipoxygenase, of oxidative stress, and by regulation of immune cells from the innate and acquired immune systems. Furthermore, frankincense modulates signaling transduction responsible for cell cycle arrest and inhibition of proliferation, angiogenesis, invasion and metastasis. Clinical trials showed the efficacy of frankincense and its phytochemicals against osteoarthritis, multiple sclerosis, asthma, psoriasis and erythematous eczema, plaque-induced gingivitis and pain. Frankincense revealed beneficial effects towards brain tumor-related edema, but did not reduce glioma size. Even if there is no treatment effect on brain tumors itself, the management of glioma-associated edema may represent a desirable improvement. The therapeutic potential against other tumor types is still speculative. Experimental toxicology and clinical trials revealed only mild adverse side effects. More randomized clinical trials are required to estimate the full clinical potential of frankincense for cancer therapy.

Endogenous phytohormones of frankincense producing Boswellia sacra tree populations

Boswellia sacra, an endemic tree to Oman, is exposed to man-made incisions for commercial level frankincense production, whereas unsustainable harvesting may lead to population decline. In this case, assessment of endogenous phytohormones (gibberellic acid (GA), indole-acetic acid (IAA), salicylic acid (SA) and kinetin) can help to understand population health and growth dynamics. Hence, it was aimed to devise a robust method using Near-Infrared spectroscopy (NIRS) coupled with multivariate methods for phytohormone analysis of thirteen different populations of B. sacra. NIRS data was recorded in absorption mode (10000-4000 cm-1) to build partial least squares regression model (calibration set 70%). Model was externally cross validated (30%) as a test set to check their prediction ability before the application to quantify the unknown amount of phytohormones in thirteen different populations of B. sacra. The results showed that phytohormonal contents varied significantly, showing a trend of SA>GA/IAA>kinetin across different populations. SA and GA contents were significantly higher in Pop13 (Hasik), followed by Pop2 (Dowkah)-an extreme end of B. sacra tree cover in Dhofar region. A similar trend in the concentration of phytohormones was found when the samples from 13 populations were subjected to advance liquid chromatography mass spectrophotometer and gas chromatograph with selected ion monitor analysis. The current analysis provides alternative tool to assess plant health, which could be important to in situ propagation of tree population as well as monitoring tree population growth dynamics.

Chemical, molecular and structural studies of Boswellia species: β-Boswellic Aldehyde and 3-epi-11β-Dihydroxy BA as precursors in biosynthesis of boswellic acids

The distribution and biosynthesis of boswellic acids (BAs) is scarce in current literature. Present study aims to elucidate the BAs biosynthetic and its diversity in the resins of Boswellia sacra and Boswellia papyrifera. Results revealed the isolation of new (3β, 11β-dihydroxy BA) and recently known (as new source, β-boswellic aldehyde) precursors from B. sacra resin along with α-amyrin. Following this, a detailed nomenclature of BAs was elucidated. The quantification and distribution of amyrins (3-epi-α-amyrin, β-amyrin and α-amyrin) and BAs in different Boswellia resins showed highest amyrin and BAs in B. sacra as compared with B. serrata and B. papyrifera. Distribution of BAs significantly varied in the resin of B. sacra collected from dry mountains than coastal trees. In B. sacra, high content of α-amyrin was found in the roots but it lacked β-amyrin and BAs. The leaf part showed traces of β-ABA and AKBA but was deficient in amyrins. This was further confirmed by lack of transcript accumulation of amyrin-related biosynthesis gene in leaf part. In contrast, the stem showed presence of all six BAs which are attributed to existence of resin-secretory canals. In conclusion, the boswellic acids are genus-specific chemical constituents for Boswellia species albeit the variation of the amounts among different Boswellia species and grades.

Quantification of AKBA in Boswellia sacra Using NIRS Coupled with PLSR as an Alternative Method and Cross-Validation by HPLC

INTRODUCTION

3-O-Acetyl-11-keto-β-boswellic acid (AKBA), one of the pentacyclic triterpenoids, is the main biologically active constituent in the resin of Boswellia sacra and has received significant pharmacological interest in recent years.

OBJECTIVE

It was aimed to develop a robust method to quantify the AKBA content in methanolic extracts of different parts of B. sacra plants and in various fractions of its resin exudates through near-infrared spectroscopy (NIRS) coupled with partial least squares regression (PLSR).

MATERIAL AND METHODS

The near-infrared (NIR) spectra were used to measure the AKBA standards and B. sacra samples at a wavelength range between 700 and 2500 nm in absorption mode. A PLSR model was built from the obtained spectral data using 70% of the AKBA working standard solutions (training set), ranging from 0.1 ppm to 100 ppm. The final PLSR showed a R² value of 99% with a root mean square error of cross-validation (RMSECV) value of 0.39% and a R² value of 99%.

RESULTS

The results showed that a 50% CHCl₃ /n-hexane sub-fraction has the highest concentration of AKBA (14.8%), followed by 55% CHCl₃ /n-hexane (13.6%), and 40% CHCl₃ /n-hexane (6.1%).

CONCLUSION

As the results achieved with the proposed NIRS methodology are in close agreement to the results of AKBA analysis using HPLC, we suggest that our proposed NIRS method is a fast alternative and non-destructive method for the analysis of AKBA in different samples of B. sacra. Copyright © 2017 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Analgesic and Anti-Inflammatory Activities of Diethyl Ether and n-Hexane Extract of Polyalthia suberosa Leaves

In folk medicine, Polyalthia suberosa is used as abortifacient, laxative, febrifuge analgesic, filler of tooth cavities, and anti-HIV drug and for rheumatism and various skin infections. The present study was directed to evaluate the analgesic and anti-inflammatory activities of diethyl ether and n-hexane extracts of Polyalthia suberosa leaves (PSDE and PSNH). A variety of tests including formalin-induced paw licking test, acetic acid induced writhing test, and tail immersion test were used to assess the analgesic activity. In addition, xylene-induced ear edema test was used to evaluate anti-inflammatory activity of PSDE and PSNH. PSDE and PSNH at 200 and 400 mg/kg doses expressed analgesic as well as anti-inflammatory activities in mice. In formalin-induced paw licking test, acetic acid induced writhing test, and xylene-induced ear edema test, the extracts exhibited significant inhibition (^⁎P < 0.05 versus control) of pain and inflammation. Alternatively, in tail immersion test, PSDE 400 mg/kg showed significant (^⁎P < 0.05 versus control) latency at 30 min but another tested sample had no significant latency. From this study, it could be shown that Polyalthia suberosa leaves may contain analgesic and anti-inflammatory agents which support its use in traditional medicine.

Analgesic-Like Activity of Essential Oil Constituents: An Update

The constituents of essential oils are widely found in foods and aromatic plants giving characteristic odor and flavor. However, pharmacological studies evidence its therapeutic potential for the treatment of several diseases and promising use as compounds with analgesic-like action. Considering that pain affects a significant part of the world population and the need for the development of new analgesics, this review reports on the current studies of essential oils’ chemical constituents with analgesic-like activity, including a description of their mechanisms of action and chemical aspects.

Application of NIRS coupled with PLS regression as a rapid, non-destructive alternative method for quantification of KBA in Boswellia sacra

In the present study, for the first time, NIR spectroscopy coupled with PLS regression as a rapid and alternative method was developed to quantify the amount of Keto-β-Boswellic Acid (KBA) in different plant parts of Boswellia sacra and the resin exudates of the trunk. NIR spectroscopy was used for the measurement of KBA standards and B. sacra samples in absorption mode in the wavelength range from 700-2500nm. PLS regression model was built from the obtained spectral data using 70% of KBA standards (training set) in the range from 0.1ppm to 100ppm. The PLS regression model obtained was having R-square value of 98% with 0.99 corelationship value and having good prediction with RMSEP value 3.2 and correlation of 0.99. It was then used to quantify the amount of KBA in the samples of B. sacra. The results indicated that the MeOH extract of resin has the highest concentration of KBA (0.6%) followed by essential oil (0.1%). However, no KBA was found in the aqueous extract. The MeOH extract of the resin was subjected to column chromatography to get various sub-fractions at different polarity of organic solvents. The sub-fraction at 4% MeOH/CHCl₃ (4.1% of KBA) was found to contain the highest percentage of KBA followed by another sub-fraction at 2% MeOH/CHCl₃ (2.2% of KBA). The present results also indicated that KBA is only present in the gum-resin of the trunk and not in all parts of the plant. These results were further confirmed through HPLC analysis and therefore it is concluded that NIRS coupled with PLS regression is a rapid and alternate method for quantification of KBA in Boswellia sacra. It is non-destructive, rapid, sensitive and uses simple methods of sample preparation.

Quantitative Determination of 3-O-Acetyl-11-Keto-βBoswellic Acid (AKBA) and Other Boswellic Acids in Boswellia sacra Flueck (syn. B. carteri Birdw) and Boswellia serrata Roxb

Boswellia serrata and Boswellia sacra (syn. B. carteri) are important medicinal plants widely used for their content of bioactive lipophilic triterpenes. The qualitative and quantitative determination of boswellic acids (BAs) is important for their use in dietary supplements aimed to provide a support for osteoarthritic and inflammatory diseases. We used High Performance Liquid Chromatography (HPLC)-Diode Array Detector (DAD) coupled to ElectroSpray Ionization and tandem Mass Spectrometry (ESI-MS/MS) for the qualitative and quantitative determination of BAs extracted from the gum resins of B. sacra and B. serrata. Limit of detection (LOD), limit of quantification (LOQ), and Matrix Effect were assessed in order to validate quantitative data. Here we show that the BAs quantitative determination was 491.20 g·kg⁻¹ d. wt (49%) in B. sacra and 295.25 g·kg⁻¹ d. wt (30%) in B. serrata. Lower percentages of BAs content were obtained when BAs were expressed on the gum resin weight (29% and 16% for B. sacra and B. serrata, respectively). The content of Acetyl-11-Keto-β-Boswellic Acid (AKBA) was higher in B. sacra (70.81 g·kg⁻¹ d. wt; 7%) than in B. serrata (7.35 g·kg⁻¹ d. wt; 0.7%). Our results show that any claim of BAs content in either B. sacra or B. serrata gum resins equal to or higher than 70% or AKBA contents of 30% are simply unrealistic or based on a wrong quantitative determination.