Sabinsa explores “long-ignored” benefits of Boswellia

25 Feb 2021 --- Until recently, Boswellia has been “somewhat overshadowed” by other traditional Ayurvedic herbs, Dr. Muhammed Majeed, founder and chairman of Sami-Sabinsa Group, tells NutritionInsight. 

Following the publication of his fourth book in a series on derivatives of Boswellia serrata, Majeed shares new findings in the polysaccharide arena, obstacles to ensuring ingredient quality and promising paths for conducting future research.

Data from Innova Market Insights reveals more than eight times as many supplement launches tracked with Turmeric/Curcumin compared to Boswellia serrata-tracked launches (Global, 2016-2020).

In the same timeframe, runner-up ashwagandha was tracked nearly three times more often than Boswellia in global supplement launches. 

Lack of organized Boswellia tree cultivation can hinder supply, leading traders and brokers to opt for ashwagandha and turmeric, which are more accessible and easier to extract. 

However, Boswellia’s primary use in contemporary medicine is as an anti-arthritic and anti-inflammatory pharmacological agent, which are relevant positionings for an increasingly aging consumer market.

Opening new Boswellia doors
Sabinsa’s most recent discovery is the “long-ignored” polysaccharide component of Boswellia gum. The company focused on the unique immunomodulatory properties of Boswellia polysaccharides, accompanied by similar findings from other Indian academic laboratories.

“Even though polysaccharides occur ubiquitously in many plant products, all of them do not confer similar health benefits,” says Majeed.

Sami-Sabinsa Group introduced the Boswellin range to the nutritional industry in the 1990s (Majeed seen right).He and his research team also showed the adaptogenic properties of Polybos, a polysaccharide fraction of Boswellia gum that Sabinsa developed.

Being granted a Mexican patent for Boswellin PS last November provided additional backing to these findings.

The patent was granted specifically for the boswellic acid-polysaccharide synergy, which can help downregulate pro-inflammatory markers. This includes, for example, PGE2, which drives the inflammatory process in different diseases. 

Safeguarding ingredient quality
Quality concerns are a critical setback for consumer loyalty to Boswellia purchases. “For Boswellia gum-derived products to be efficacious, the gum composition should have a high enough concentration of active Boswellic acids,” Majeed explains.

Hurdles in this space are different sources or geographical regions that produce Boswellia with varying properties. “Also, the co-occurring polysaccharide quality is another feature to consider when using the gum for making therapeutic herbal ingredients,” he notes.

Sabinsa continues to advocate for consistent herbal ingredient quality. The company gained Non-GMO Project Verified status for eleven of its key ingredients last year, including Boswellin Super Boswellia.

These moves also extend outside of the Boswellia arena. In Canada, it scored patents for its turmeric, ginger and peptide ingredients to protect the marketplace from “low-quality” copycats looking to cause disruption.

Last November, Sabinsa reported an ingredient falsely marketed as amla-derived vitamin C to the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in its ongoing efforts to remove adulterated additives from the market. 

The Boswellia serrata tree is also known as Dhup, Indian frankincense or Indian olibanum.Origin story
Boswellic acids are obtained from the gum resin of the large, deciduous Boswellia serrata tree, which grows abundantly in the dry, hilly parts of India. 

Its other names are Dhup, Indian frankincense or Indian olibanum. The gum resin exudate of Boswellia serrata, known as “Salai gugga,” has been used in Ayurvedic medicine to help manage rheumatism, respiratory diseases and liver disorders. 

The utilitarian properties of Boswellia-derived products stem from their “outstanding anti-inflammatory properties,” according to Majeed, boosted further with their adaptogenic and immunomodulatory aspects. 

“Also, the mechanism of anti-inflammation by lipoxygenase inhibition by Boswellic acids, especially 3-O-acetyl-11-keto-beta-boswellic acid (AKBA), has contributed a uniqueness not shared by other pharma and plant-based products.”

Always more to know
All of the “mysteries” surrounding Boswellia gum are yet to be uncovered, Majeed maintains, but its synergies with other ingredients is a promising research avenue. 

“The adaptogenic aspect we’ve seen with our Bowellin PS shows us a direction we should further travel to maximize the utility of those products, which opens doors for sports nutrition products, for example.”

Combining Boswellin with selenium is also a topic of interest at Sabinsa. Having demonstrated immunomodulatory properties with the combo, the company is keen on understanding these implications in psoriatic conditions. 

“We have done clinical studies with Nilitis, a combination product of Boswellin with C3 Complex, ginger extract and BioPerine for quicker and stronger onset of relief in joint-health related issues for young and old,” he adds.

“The more research we do, the clearer it becomes that there’s still so much to explore.”

By Anni Schleicher