Monograph

Boswellia serrata is a moderate to large branching tree found in India, Northern Africa, and the Middle East. Strips of bark are peeled away, yielding a gummy oleo-resin which contains oils, terpenoids, and gum. Up to 16 percent of the resin is essential oil, the majority being alpha thujene and p-cymene. Four pentacyclic triterpene acids are also present, with -Boswellic acid being the major constituent. Extracts of this gummy exudate have been traditionally used in the Ayurvedic system of medicine as an anti-arthritic. These gum resins are also known as guggals. S. Nityanand et al showed the guggal of Commiphora mukul to be an effective hypolipidemic agent, but it does not have the anti-inflammatory action of the gum resin of Boswellia serrata.