- What is it?
The raw biomass when grounded into a powder has been analyzed and contains 35% Boswellic Acid, total (AKBA), which constitutes the total percentage of Boswellic Acid present in the biomass. It is made up of beta-boswellic acids, keto-beto Boswellic acids and the highly sought after 3-acetyl-11-keto-beta Boswellic acids which makes up the total AKBA. AKBA inhibits 5-LOX.5-LOX is crucial in leukotriene synthesis, linked to inflammation.
Not all frankincense has BA in it. The ones that do have it when it’s dried it could have anywhere between 17% and 35%, depending on which resin was distilled.
Boswellia sacra runs between 17% and 34% in the raw depending on climate change which will determine how much is in it.
Boswellia carteri between 35 and 40%
You cannot test it with a GC report because it’s a hard substance, which has to be ground into a powder before you can even test it. It is verified by high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) machine.
Once it is tested, then you have the exact amount. To bring out more % you must use a solvent.
You cannot get 60 to 75% without some type of alcohol Solvent. It is scientifically impossible.
Inhibition suggests therapeutic potential for asthma and arthritis and pain in muscle and joints. Research explores BAs in managing chronic inflammatory conditions. Research explores BAs in managing chronic inflammatory conditions with potential applications in osteoarthritis, rheumatoid arthritis, IBD, and cancer
Potential applications in osteoarthritis, rheumatoid arthritis, IBD, and cancer. 11-keto-β-boswellic acid (KBA) and 3-O-acetyl-11-keto-β-boswellic acid (AKBA) has been demonstrated to be the most effective at reducing cytokine production and inhibiting the inflammatory response causing enzymes.
Boswellic acid has been shown to be Antimicrobial. Antioxidan, Anti-inflammatory. Immuno-modulatory, Pain relief. Anticancer. It is compared to aspirin without the side effects because of its anti-inflammatory properties.
- Studies has shown in vitro attacking cells, it has Anti-cancer properties
- Anti-tumor effect of boswellic acid in human breast cancer
- Cytotoxic effect of boswellic acid on colorectal cancer
- Anti-tumor effect of boswellic acid in human colonic adenocarcinoma
- Role of boswellic acid in growth suppression of human pancreatic tumors and its metastasis
- Inhibitory activity of boswellic acids against human leukaemia
- Apoptotic effect of boswellic acid in liver cancer cells
- Apoptosis in prostate cancer cells in vitro and in vivo by boswellic acids
Boswellic acids from Boswellia carteri— especially acetyl-11-keto-β-boswellic acid (AKBA) — are best known for their enzyme inhibitory effects on inflammatory pathways rather than direct “glycoprotein inhibition” in the classic pharmaceutical sense.
Here’s the important distinction:
What boswellic acids are known to inhibit
The strongest evidence is for inhibition of:
• 5-lipoxygenase (5-LOX)
This enzyme helps produce leukotrienes, inflammatory signaling molecules involved in asthma, arthritis, inflammatory bowel disease, and mast-cell related inflammation.
AKBA is considered a selective non-redox 5-LOX inhibitor.
Key boswellic acids in Boswellia carterii
Common active triterpenes include:
• β-boswellic acid
• acetyl-β-boswellic acid
• 11-keto-β-boswellic acid (KBA)
• acetyl-11-keto-β-boswellic acid (AKBA)
These compounds have been studied for:
• anti-inflammatory effects
• leukotriene suppression
• possible anticancer activity
• immune modulation
• neuroinflammatory effects
About “glycoprotein inhibitors”
1. P-glycoprotein (P-gp / MDR1)
This is a drug-efflux transporter involved in chemotherapy resistance.
Some laboratory studies suggest boswellic acids may influence multidrug resistance pathways and tumor cell signaling, but evidence for clinically meaningful P-glycoprotein inhibition is still preliminary and not established in humans.
2. Viral glycoproteins
There are exploratory studies on frankincense constituents interacting with viral entry proteins, but this remains experimental.
3. Glycoprotein-mediated inflammatory signaling
Boswellic acids appear to modulate inflammatory cytokines and adhesion molecules indirectly through:
• NF-κB signaling
• leukotriene pathways
• cytokine suppression
• TGF-β modulation
Another important enzyme target: urease
A study on boswellic acid derivatives isolated from Boswellia carterii found strong urease inhibitory activity, with some compounds outperforming thiourea in vitro.
That matters because urease-producing organisms like H. pylori use this enzyme for survival in the stomach.
Mechanistically, AKBA is the standout molecule
AKBA’s structure is unusually important for activity.
Research shows:
• the 11-keto group
• the carboxylic acid group
• and the pentacyclic triterpene backbone
are critical for 5-LOX inhibition. Small structural changes can dramatically reduce activity.
Practical reality
Most commercial frankincense essential oils contain little to no boswellic acids because boswellic acids are nonvolatile resin acids and do not distill well into essential oil.
The highest AKBA content is usually found in:
• standardized resin extracts
• concentrated Boswellia extracts
• products standardized for AKBA percentage
That’s why research studies generally use resin extracts, not essential oil.
As you see there are many uses for it.
I wrote a case study paper on using it in capsules and you can read it all here:
https://robinkessler.academia.edu/research
Here are some other studies on Boswellic Acid Extract I found on Pubmed.com. If you type in Boswellic Acid Extract, there are many other studies
Anti-inflammatory and anti-cancer activities of frankincense: Targets, treatments and toxicities - PubMed
Acetyl-11-keto-β-boswellic Acid Inhibits Precancerous Breast Lesion MCF-10AT Cells via Regulation of LINC00707/miR-206 that Reduces Estrogen Receptor-α - PubMed
Hollings researchers find Boswellia, an extract of frankincense, shows anti-cancer activity in patients with breast cancer | MUSC
This study shows the pharmaceutical side of Boswellic Acid Extract
The journey of boswellic acids from synthesis to pharmacological activities | Naunyn-Schmiedeberg's Archives of Pharmacology | Springer Nature Link
Here is a Youtube video on what is Boswellic Acid with Global Extracts & Flavors BV and RBK Aromatherapy LLC
https://youtu.be/1tuRo2j-ybQ?si=hH8s6as4f0RkZj0L
All the information here is for educational purposes only. Do the research and see for yourself
RSS Feed
