Boswellia carteriiExtract Inhibits TH1 Cytokines and Promotes TH2 Cytokines In Vitro

Abstract

Traditional herbal formulas used to treat inflammatory arthritis in China and India include Boswellia carterii or Boswellia serrata. They both contain boswellic acids (BAs) which have been shown to exhibit anti-inflammatory and antiarthritic properties. This study tests the hypothesis that mixtures of BAs derived from B. carterii have immunomodulatory properties. B. carterii plant resin obtained from China was prepared as an ethanol extract, and the presence of seven BAs was confirmed by column chromatography, highperformance liquid chromatography, and UV laser desorption/ionization tandem mass spectroscopy. The extract was then tested for its ability to alter in vitro production of TH1 cytokines (interleukin-2 [IL-2] and gamma interferon) and TH2 cytokines (IL-4 and IL-10) by murine splenocytes. Delivery of the resin extract using ethanol as a solvent resulted in significant cellular toxicity not seen with the addition of ethanol alone. By contrast, delivery of the resin extract using a sesame oil solvent resulted in a dose-dependent inhibition of TH1 cytokines coupled with a dose-dependent potentiation of TH2 cytokines. These results indicate that a purified mixture of BAs from B. carterii plant resin exhibits carrier-dependent immunomodulatory properties in vitro.

GC-MS Analysis of Frankincense Extracts which Inhibit the Growth of Bacterial Triggers of Selected Autoimmune Diseases

“…The methanolic extract was identified as being a particularly potent inhibitor of P. mirabilis (MIC values of 59.6 and 123.8 µg/mL for the reference and clinical strains respecitively).Thus this extract has potential for the development of rheumatoid arthritis inhibitory therapies. Interestingly, as previous studies have also demonstrated that B. carterii extracts regulate cytokine production, 11 the methanolic frankincense extract (which was prepared using B. carterii resin), may well have similar properties and further studies are required to test this. If our extracts are subsequently found to modulate cytokine production, they may prove to be particularly useful for individuals suffering from rheumatoid arthritis, as they would provide both preventative and treatment mechanisms.…”

“…One study reported that B. carterii extract regulates the production of cytokines in mouse cell cultures. 11 Specifically, the extract inhibited the production of IFN-γ and IL-2. In contrast, the same study reported that production of IL-4 and IL-10 was increased substan- tially following exposure to the B. carterii extract (more than double at some extract concentrations).…”

Bosellia serrata-induced apoptosis is related with ER stress and calcium release

“…The gum resin of Boswellia serrata (BS), a type of deciduous tree grown in the drier parts of China, Korea and India, has been used in traditional medicine to treat inflammatory and arthritic diseases [1,2]. Besides the antiinflammatory effects, several studies on tumor cells have suggested that Boswellic acids, a component of BS, have anticancer effects [3,4].…”

Can a plant-derived compound provide a lupus lifeline?

“…Clinical studies so far suggest efficacy in autoimmune conditions including rheumatoid arthritis, Crohn's disease, ulcerative colitis and bronchial asthma with comparatively minimal side effects [13]. There are no studies on the effectiveness of Boswellia extract in lupus, however its immunomodulatory effects in animal studies which includes suppression of immune hemolysis by inhibiting C3 convertase, enhancing phagocytic function of macrophages, inhibiting TNF-α through the NF-κB pathway and inhibition of TH1 cytokines without a generalized immune suppressive effect makes it a potential research molecule for therapeutic effectiveness in lupus [14][15][16][17]. Several additional triterpenoid derivatives are also known to have anti-inflammatory potential along with other therapeutic properties and have not so far been studied in autoimmune diseases, making the scope for future research in the field interesting and vast.…”