Therapeutic Importance and Application of Boswellic Acid From the Plant Boswellia serrata

Abstract

Traditionally, the gum resin produced from the Boswellia serrata plant has been used in as a therapeutical compound. The gum that contains a chemical known as boswellic acid, AKBA (3-O-acetyl-11 keto-β-boswellic acid), and widely in ayurvedic medicines. This is used to treat the disease like reduction in various inflammatory conditions of the skin, eye, as well as respiratory disorders such as asthma, bronchitis, and laryngitis. The boswellic acids were also found capable to inhibit both hemolysis and chemotaxis of leukocytes and were shown to work by inhibiting C3-convertase, a key enzyme of the classical complementary pathway. In addition to this, the compound shows beneficial effects in various pharmacological properties like immunomodulation activity, polyarthritis, activity against Hepatitis C-virus and other harmful microbes, Colitis and Crohn's disease, and so on. The boswellic acid is also used to treat patients with memory disorders. In this chapter, the chemical nature and isolation of boswellic acid and its therapeutic importance have been highlighted.