Boswellia Serrata May Protect Gastric Health

By VRP Staff

A new animal study suggests that boswellia serrata, a botanical with anti-inflammatory properties commonly used by arthritis patients, may also inhibit gastric ulcers.

Researchers exposed rats to a variety of ulcer-causing substances. When the rats were also exposed to boswellia serrata, the ulcers were inhibited in a dose-dependent manner. Boswellia showed a different degree of anti-ulcer activity against each of the ulcer-causing agents used in the animals. At a dose of 250 mg/kg, boswellia inhibited the ulcers from 31 to 51 percent, depending on the agent the researchers used to trigger the ulcers in the rodents.

The researchers stated, “From the data it is concluded that boswellic acids (BA) inhibited ulcer production non-specifically in all the experimental models, whereby, it is not possible to propose a single specific mechanism.” However, the study authors theorized that boswellia’s anti-ulcer activity may be due to its increasing the gastric mucosal resistance and by increasing the synthesis of prostaglandins that protect cells lining the gastric tract. They also proposed that boswellia may inhibit the synthesis of leukotrienes, which act as chemical mediators of inflammation.

Reference:

Singh S, Khajuria A, Taneja SC, Khajuria RK, Singh J, Johri RK, Qazi GN. The gastric ulcer protective effect of boswellic acids, a leukotriene inhibitor from Boswellia serrata, in rats. Phytomedicine. 2008 Jun;15(6-7):408-15.