What are the properties of Boswellic Acid in supplements?

The properties of Boswellic Acid

Boswellic acids are a series of pentacyclic triterpene molecules that are produced by plants in the genus Boswellia. Like many other terpenes, boswellic acids appear in the resin of the plant that exudes them; it is estimated that they make up 30% of the resin of Boswellia serrata. While boswellic acids are a major component of the resin, the steam or hydro distilled frankincense essential oil does not contain any boswellic acid as these components are non-volatile and too large to come over in the steam distillation process (the essential oil is composed mainly of the much lighter monoterpene and sesquiterpene molecules with small amounts of diterpenoid components being the upper limit in terms of molecular weight).

Beta-boswellic acid, keto-beta-boswellic acid, and acetyl-keto-beta-boswellic acid (AKBA) have been indicated in apoptosis of cancer cells, in particular brain tumors and cells affected by leukemia or colon cancer.

Acetyl-boswellic acids also exhibit anti-inflammatory behaviour by inhibiting leukotriene synthesis. To be specific, it inhibits the activity of the enzyme 5-lipoxygenase through a non-redox reaction. Clinical trials have investigated the effectiveness of boswellic acids in treating ulcerative colitis, but a study on chemically induced colitis in mouse models showed little effectiveness. A latter study showed that low doses of Boswellia serrata extract may have hepatoprotective effects. The higher dose was found to have a milder hepatoprotective effect than the lower dose.

Boswellic acids are also thought to decrease the symptoms of asthma; a small 1998 placebo-controlled trial of Boswellia extract for the treatment of asthma showed good results. Boswellia extracts are sold in tablet, capsule and tincture form, but no dosage guidelines have been developed. The risk of hepatotoxicity due to Boswellia administration has not been assessed.


Boswellic Acid - Description from HMDB

 


The supplements containing Boswellic Acid

Boswellia Extract, 500 mg, 90 Softgels (Now Foods)Boswellia Extract, 500 mg, 90 Softgels (Now Foods)

English version

Allergy / Immune Arthritis / Joint Pain Herbs Immune Joint / Bone Health TBSS ID:
Boswellia Extract, 500 mg, 90 Softgels (Now Foods) contains Boswellic Acid.

 

Learn More (GB)
NOW Boswellia Extract is a standardized extract of Boswellia serrata, also known as Frankincense, a resinous botanical that has been used for centuries by traditional Ayurvedic herbalists. The bioactive constituents of Boswellia, Boswellic Acids, have been shown in scientific studies to affect key...
Learn More (GB)
Boswellia Extract, 250 mg, 120 Veg Capsules (Now Foods)Boswellia Extract, 250 mg, 120 Veg Capsules (Now Foods)

English version

Allergy / Immune Arthritis / Joint Pain Herbs Immune Joint / Bone Health TBSS ID:
Boswellia Extract, 250 mg, 120 Veg Capsules (Now Foods) contains Boswellic Acid.

 

Learn More (GB)
NOW Boswellia Extract is a standardized extract of Boswellia serrata, also known as Frankincense, a resinous botanical that has been traditionally used by Ayurvedic herbalists for centuries. The bioactive constituents of Boswellia, Boswellia Acids, have been shown in scientific studies to affect...
Learn More (GB)

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Boswellic Acid - References & External links

Boswellic Acid

TBS Ingredient ID (TBSI ID):
Name
Boswellic Acid
Classification TypeIdentifier
HMDB:
The Human Metabolome Database (HMDB) is a freely available electronic database containing detailed information about small molecule metabolites found in the human body.
Show: Boswellic Acid - description from HMDB

Related substances

Alpha-Boswellic Acid

Alpha-Boswellic Acid

TBS Ingredient ID (TBSI ID):
Name
Alpha-Boswellic Acid
Chemical Formula:
C30H48O3
Classification TypeIdentifier
PubChem CID:
U.S. National Library of Medicine (PubChem)
InChI Key:
International Chemical Identifier hash (InChIKey) computed from chemical structure using the International Union of Pure and Applied Chemistry (IUPAC) standard		BZXULBWGROURAF-IKNLXHIFSA-N
ChEMBL:
An open data resource of binding, functional and ADMET bioactivity data (ChEMBL)

Beta-Boswellic Acid

Beta-Boswellic Acid

TBS Ingredient ID (TBSI ID):
Name
Beta-Boswellic Acid
Chemical Formula:
C30H48O3
Classification TypeIdentifier
PubChem CID:
U.S. National Library of Medicine (PubChem)
InChI Key:
International Chemical Identifier hash (InChIKey) computed from chemical structure using the International Union of Pure and Applied Chemistry (IUPAC) standard		NBGQZFQREPIKMG-PONOSELZSA-N
CAS:
A proprietary registry number assigned by the Chemical Abstracts Service (CAS) division of the American Chemical Society (ACS)		631-69-6
NIST:
The National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST)
ChemIDplus:
United States National Library of Medicine - TOXNET (Toxicology Data Network).
DSSTox Substance ID:
United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).
MeSH® ID:
Medical Subject Heading (MeSH)
ChEMBL:
An open data resource of binding, functional and ADMET bioactivity data (ChEMBL)
HMDB:
The Human Metabolome Database (HMDB) is a freely available electronic database containing detailed information about small molecule metabolites found in the human body.
UNII:
FDA Substance Registration System - Unique Ingredient Identifier

11-Keto-Beta-Boswellic Acid

11-Keto-beta-boswellic acid is found in herbs and spices. 11-Keto-beta-boswellic acid is a constituent of Boswellia serrata (Indian olibanum).

11-Keto-Beta-Boswellic Acid

TBS Ingredient ID (TBSI ID):
Name
11-Keto-Beta-Boswellic Acid
Chemical Formula:
C30H46O4
Classification TypeIdentifier
PubChem CID:
U.S. National Library of Medicine (PubChem)
InChI Key:
International Chemical Identifier hash (InChIKey) computed from chemical structure using the International Union of Pure and Applied Chemistry (IUPAC) standard		YIMHGPSYDOGBPI-YZCVQEKWSA-N
CAS:
A proprietary registry number assigned by the Chemical Abstracts Service (CAS) division of the American Chemical Society (ACS)		17019-92-0
NIST:
The National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST)
ChemIDplus:
United States National Library of Medicine - TOXNET (Toxicology Data Network).
EC Number:
A seven-digit regulatory identifier currently assigned by the European Chemicals Agency (ECHA) known as a European Community (EC) number		605-571-5
DSSTox Substance ID:
United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).
MeSH® ID:
Medical Subject Heading (MeSH)
ChEMBL:
An open data resource of binding, functional and ADMET bioactivity data (ChEMBL)
HMDB:
The Human Metabolome Database (HMDB) is a freely available electronic database containing detailed information about small molecule metabolites found in the human body.
UNII:
FDA Substance Registration System - Unique Ingredient Identifier

Acetyl-11-Keto-Beta-Boswellic Acid

Acetyl-11-Keto-Beta-Boswellic Acid

TBS Ingredient ID (TBSI ID):
Name
Acetyl-11-Keto-Beta-Boswellic Acid
Synonyms:
AKBA
Chemical Formula:
C32H48O5
Classification TypeIdentifier
PubChem CID:
U.S. National Library of Medicine (PubChem)
InChI Key:
International Chemical Identifier hash (InChIKey) computed from chemical structure using the International Union of Pure and Applied Chemistry (IUPAC) standard		HMMGKOVEOFBCAU-BCDBGHSCSA-N
CAS:
A proprietary registry number assigned by the Chemical Abstracts Service (CAS) division of the American Chemical Society (ACS)		67416-61-9
NIST:
The National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST)
ChemIDplus:
United States National Library of Medicine - TOXNET (Toxicology Data Network).
EC Number:
A seven-digit regulatory identifier currently assigned by the European Chemicals Agency (ECHA) known as a European Community (EC) number		614-060-6
DSSTox Substance ID:
United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).
MeSH® ID:
Medical Subject Heading (MeSH)
ChEMBL:
An open data resource of binding, functional and ADMET bioactivity data (ChEMBL)
UNII:
FDA Substance Registration System - Unique Ingredient Identifier

The references to scientific articles about Boswellic Acid are not meant to imply that any products treat, cure, or diagnose any disease or human condition. We encourage our audience to do their own research beyond the resources we have provided so your decision is as educated as possible.