About this blog

After seeing news articles say there was NO EVIDENCE that essential oils work for Ebola and hearing that the FDA has not approved any oils for any sort of disease, I decided to see what was out there and expose the essential oil industry. Instead, I found a mountain of peer reviewed studies for all kinds of serious diseases saying how well they work, even on Ebola! So, I decided to set up this blog to post a few studies a week to expose the real frauds and show the world what NO EVIDENCE looks like.
If you find value in my service, please donate to the blog since there is a cost to search and post these articles. I have waded through hundreds, if not thousands of difficult peer-reviewed articles to bring you those related to essential oils and ailments. I hope you find what you are looking for. I wish you great health, wealth and happiness!

(TIP: When looking for an article look in the Archive for titles but also use the Search Box because some articles may delay with say cancer in the title but also mention another disease so they may have tags that allow you to find them in the Search Box.)

Immune System, Arthritis, Asthma, Osteoarthritis, Colitis, Crohn's, Chronic Inflammatory Disease and Frankincense

Modulation of the immune system by Boswellia serrata extracts and boswellic acids

Dedicated to Prof. Dr. hc mult. Wagner for his 80th birthday.
Department of Pharmacology, Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Tuebingen, Auf der Morgenstelle 8, 72076 Tuebingen, Germany
"From the pharmacological properties of BEs and BAs it is not surprising that positive effects of BEs in some chronic inflammatory diseases including rheumatoid arthritis, bronchial asthma, osteoarthritis, ulcerative colitis and Crohn's disease have been reported."

published online 09 August 2010.

Abstract 

Extracts from the gum resin of Boswellia serrata and some of is constituents including boswellic acids affect the immune system in different ways. Among the various boswellic acids 11-keto-β-boswellic acid (KBA) and acetyl-11-keto-β-boswellic acid have been observed to be active. However, also other boswellic acids may exhibit actions in the immune system.
In the humoral defence system a mixture of boswellic acis at higher doses reduced primary antibody titres; on the other hand lower doses enhanced secondary antibody titres following treatment with sheep erythrocytes.
In the cellular defence boswellic acides appear to increase lymphocyte proliferation whereas higher concentrations are even inhibitory. Moreover, BAs increase phagocytosis of macrophages.
BAs affect the cellular defence system by interaction with production/release of cytokines. Thus, BAs inhibit activation of NFκB which is a product of neutrophile granulocytes. Consequently a down regulation of TNF-α and decrease of IL-1, IL-2, IL-4, IL-6 and IFN-γ, which are proinflammatory cytokines by BEs and BAs has been reported.
Suppressions of the classic way of the complement system was found to be due to inhibition of the conversion of C3 into C3a and C3b. However, which of these pharmacological actions contribute to the therapeutic effects and which is finally the best dosage of a standardized extract needs further examination. And it is also a question whether or not a single BA will have the same therapeutic effect as a standardized extract.
Among the mediators of inflammatory reaction, mast cell stabilisation has been described by a BE. Inhibition of prostaglandin synthesis appears to play only a minor role as far as the anti-inflammatory effect is concerned.
On the other hand the inhibitory action of BAs on 5-LO leading to a decreased production of leukotrienes has received high attention by the scientific community since a variety of chronic inflammatory diseases is associatied with increased leukotriene activity.
At the end of the cascade of events in the cellular immune system as far as it directs to various tissues of the body – i.e. autoimmune diseases – formation of oxygen radicals and proteases (for example elastase) play an important destructive role. Here, BEs as well as BAs have been found to be inhibitory.
From the pharmacological properties of BEs and BAs it is not surprising that positive effects of BEs in some chronic inflammatory diseases including rheumatoid arthritis, bronchial asthma, osteoarthritis, ulcerative colitis and Crohn's disease have been reported.
 
site design by designer blogs