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Frankincense

Frankincense from Yemen

Frankincense, also called olibanum (Arabic: ناٌبل,lubbān), is an aromatic resin obtained from trees of thegenus Boswellia, particularly Boswellia sacra (syn. B.carteri, B. thurifera), B. frereana, and B. bhaw-dajiana(Burseraceae). It is used in incense and perfumes.

There are four main species of Boswellia whichproduce true frankincense and each type of resin isavailable in various grades. The grades depend on thetime of harvesting, and the resin is hand-sorted forquality.

Description

Frankincense is tapped from the very scraggly buthardy Boswellia tree by slashing the bark and allowing the exuded resins to bleed out and harden. These hardenedresins are called tears. There are numerous species and varieties of frankincense trees, each producing a slightlydifferent type of resin. Differences in soil and climate create even more diversity of the resin, even within the samespecies.

Frankincense trees are also considered unusual for their ability to grow in environments so unforgiving that theysometimes grow directly out of solid rock. The means of initial attachment to the stone is not known but isaccomplished by a bulbous disk-like swelling of the trunk. This disk-like growth at the base of the tree prevents itfrom being torn away from the rock during the violent storms that frequent the region they grow in. This feature isslight or absent in trees grown in rocky soil or gravel. The tears from these hardy survivors are considered superiordue to their more fragrant aroma.

Flowers and branches of the Boswellia sacra tree, the species fromwhich most frankincense is derived

The trees start producing resin when they are about 8 to10 years old.[1] Tapping is done 2 to 3 times a year withthe final taps producing the best tears due to theirhigher aromatic terpene, sesquiterpene and diterpenecontent. Generally speaking, the more opaque resins arethe best quality. Dhofari frankincense (from Boswelliasacra)[1] is said to be the best in the world, althoughfine resin is also produced more extensively in Yemenand along the northern coast of Somalia, from whichthe Roman Catholic Church draws its supplies.[2]

Recent studies have indicated that frankincense treepopulations are declining due to over-exploitation.Heavily tapped trees have been found to produce seedsthat germinate at only 16% while seeds of trees that hadnot been tapped germinate at more than 80%.

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History

Indirect burning of frankincense on a hot coal

Frankincense has been traded on the Arabian Peninsulaand in North Africa for more than 5000 years.[3] Amural depicting sacks of frankincense traded from theLand of Punt adorns the walls of the temple of ancientEgyptian Queen Hatshepsut, who died in 1458 BCE.[4]

Frankincense was reintroduced to Europe by FrankishCrusaders. Although it is better known as"frankincense" to westerners, the resin is also known asolibanum, which is derived from the Arabic al-lubān(roughly translated: "that which results from milking"),a reference to the milky sap tapped from the Boswelliatree. Some have also postulated that the name comesfrom the Arabic term for "Oil of Lebanon" sinceLebanon was the place where the resin was sold andtraded with Europeans. Compare with Exodus 30:34,where it is named levonah, meaning either "white" or"Lebanese" in Hebrew.

The lost city of Ubar, sometimes identified with Irem inwhat is now the town of Shisr in Oman, is believed to have been a centre of the frankincense trade along the recentlyrediscovered "Incense Road". Ubar was rediscovered in the early 1990s and is now under archaeological excavation.

The Greek historian Herodotus was familiar with Frankincense and knew it was harvested from trees in southernArabia. He reports, however, that the gum was dangerous to harvest because of venomous snakes that lived in thetrees. He goes on to describe the method used by the Arabians to get around this problem, that being the burning ofthe gum of the styrax tree whose smoke would drive the snakes away.[5] The resin is also mentioned by Theophrastusand by Pliny the Elder in his Naturalis Historia.

Quality

Frankincense

Frankincense comes in many grades, and its quality isbased on colour, purity, aroma, and age. Silver andHojari are generally considered the highest grades offrankincense. The Omanis themselves generallyconsider Silver to be a better grade than Hojari, thoughmost Western connoisseurs think that it should be theother way round. This may be due to climaticconditions with the Hojari smelling best in therelatively cold, damp climate of Europe and NorthAmerica, whereas Silver may well be more suited tothe hot dry conditions of Arabia.

Local market information in Oman suggests that theterm Hojari encompasses a broad range of high-endfrankincense including Silver. Resin value is

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determined not only by fragrance but also by color and clump size, with lighter color and larger clumps being morehighly prized. The most valuable Hojari frankincense locally available in Oman is even more expensive thanSomalia's Maydi frankincense derived from B. frereana (see below). The vast majority of this ultra-high-end B.sacra frankincense is purchased by His Majesty Sultan Qaboos bin Said the ruler of Oman, and is notoriouslydifficult for western buyers to correctly identify and purchase.

Uses

Boswellia sacra tree, from which frankincense is derived, growinginside Biosphere 2

Frankincense is used in perfumery and aromatherapy.Olibanum essential oil is obtained by steam distillationof the dry resin. Some of the smell of the olibanumsmoke is due to the products of pyrolysis.

Frankincense was lavishly used in religious rites. In theBook of Exodus in the Old Testament, it was aningredient for incense (Ex 30:34); according to thebook of Matthew  2:11, gold, frankincense, and myrrhwere among the gifts to Jesus by the Biblical Magi"from out of the East."

The Egyptians ground the charred resin into a powdercalled kohl. Kohl was used to make the distinctiveblack eyeliner seen on so many figures in Egyptian art.The aroma of frankincense is said to represent life andthe Judaic, Christian, and Islamic faiths have often used frankincense mixed with oils to anoint newborn infants andindividuals considered to be moving into a new phase in their spiritual lives.

The growth of Christianity depressed the market for frankincense during the 4th century AD. Desertification madethe caravan routes across the Rub' al Khali or "Empty Quarter" of Arabia more difficult. Additionally, increasedraiding by the nomadic Parthians in the Near East caused the frankincense trade to dry up after about 300 AD.

Traditional medicineFrankincense resin is edible and often used in various traditional medicines in Asia for digestion and healthy skin.Edible frankincense must be pure for internal consumption, meaning it should be translucent, with no black or brownimpurities. It is often light yellow with a (very) slight greenish tint. It is often chewed like gum, but it is stickierbecause it is a resin.In Ayurvedic medicine Indian frankincense (Boswellia serrata), commonly referred to as "dhoop," has been used forhundreds of years for treating arthritis, healing wounds, strengthening the female hormone system, and purifying theatmosphere from undesirable germs. The use of frankincense in Ayurveda is called "dhoopan". In Indian culture, it issuggested that burning frankincense everyday in house brings good health.[6]

Burning frankincense repels mosquitos and thus helps protect people and animals from mosquito-borne illnesses,such as malaria, West Nile Virus, and Dengue Fever.[7]

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Frankincense essential oil

Frankincense olibanum resin

The essential oil of frankincense is produced by steamdistillation of the tree resin. The oil's chemicalcomponents are 75% monoterpenes, sesquiterpenes,monoterpenoles, sesquiterpenols, and ketones. It has agood balsamic and sweet fragrance, while the Indianfrankincense oil has a very fresh smell.

Perfume

Olibanum is characterized by a balsamic-spicy, slightlylemon, and typical fragrance of incense, with a slightlyconifer-like undertone. It is used in the perfume as wellas cosmetics and pharmaceuticals industries.

Medical research

Frankincense

Standardized preparations of Indian frankincense fromBoswellia serrata are being investigated in scientificstudies as a treatment for chronic inflammatorydiseases such as Crohn's disease, ulcerative colitis, andosteoarthritis. Initial clinical study results indicateefficacy of incense preparations for Crohn's disease.For therapy trials in ulcerative colitis, asthma, andrheumatoid arthritis there are only isolated reports andpilot studies from which there is not yet sufficientevidence of safety and efficacy. Similarly, thelong-term effects and side effects of takingfrankincense has not yet been scientificallyinvestigated. Boswellic acid in vitro antiproliferativeeffects on various tumor cell lines (such as melanoma,glioblastomas, liver cancer) are based on induction of apoptosis. A positive effect has been found in the use ofincense on the accompanying specimens of brain tumors, although in smaller clinical trials. Some scientists say theresults are due to methodological flaws. The main active compound of Indian incense is viewed as being boswellicacid.

As of May 2008 FASEB Journal announced that Johns Hopkins University and the Hebrew University of Jerusalemhave determined that frankincense smoke is a psychoactive drug that relieves depression and anxiety in mice.[8] Theresearchers found that the chemical compound incensole acetate[9] is responsible for the effects.[8]

In a different study, an enriched extract of "Indian Frankincense" (usually Boswellia serrata) was used in a randomized, double-blinded, placebo-controlled study of patients with osteoarthritis. Patients receiving the extract showed significant improvement in their arthritis in as little as seven days. The compound caused no major adverse

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effects and, according to the study authors, is safe for human consumption and long-term use.[10]

The study was funded by a company which produces frankincense extract,[4] and that the results have not yet beenduplicated by another study.In a study published in March 2009 by the University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center it was reported that"Frankincense oil appears to distinguish cancerous from normal bladder cells and suppress cancer cell viability."[11]

Chemical composition

Structure of β-boswellic acid, one of themain active components of frankincense

These are some of the chemical compounds present in frankincense:• "acid resin (56 per cent), soluble in alcohol and having the formula

C20H32O4"[12]

• gum (similar to gum arabic) 30–36%[12]

• 3-acetyl-beta-boswellic acid (Boswellia sacra)[13]

• alpha-boswellic acid (Boswellia sacra)[13]

• 4-O-methyl-glucuronic acid (Boswellia sacra)[13]

• incensole acetate• phellandrene[12]

See also

• Desi Sangye Gyatso• Frankincense Trail• Incense• Incense Route• Myrrh• Nabataeans• Pliny the Elder• Resin• Theophrastus

References• The Road to Ubar: Finding the Atlantis of the Sands — Clapp Nicholas, 1999. ISBN 0-395-95786-9.• Frankincense & Myrrh: A Study of the Arabian Incense Trade — Groom, Nigel, 1981. ISBN 0-86685-593-9.• Gold, Frankincense, and Myrrh: An Introduction to Eastern Christian Spirituality — Maloney George A, 1997.

ISBN 0-8245-1616-8.• Tapped-out trees threaten frankincense [14], Foxnews.com science (citing a study co-authored by botanists and

ecologists from the Netherlands and Eritrea and published in The Journal of Applied Ecology, December 2006.)• Frankincense Provides Relief for Osteoarthritis [15]

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External links• Phytochemical Investigations on Boswellia Species [16]

• Boswellia Serrata [17]

• Omani sites on the world heritage list [18]

Articles• Atlantis of the Sands [19] — Archaeology Magazine May–June 1997• Frankincense in Oman article [20]

• Spices Exotic Flavors and Medicines [21] — UCLA Louise M. Darling Biomedical Library Spice ExhibitFrankincense and Myrrh 2002

• Thinkgene.com [22] - Incense is psychoactive: Scientists identify the biology behind the ceremony. May 2008• Scents of Place: Frankincense in Oman [23]

Related sites• History of Frankincense (www.itmonline.org) [24]

• Chemical compounds found in Boswellia sacra [25] (Dr. Duke's Databases)• UNESCO [26] Frankincense Trail Dhofar Province, Oman.• Trade Between Arabia and the Empires of Rome and Asia [27], Metropolitan Museum of Art.• Lost City of Arabia [28] Interview with Dr. Juris Zarins, Nova, September 1996.• Frankincense and Oman [29], Sultan Qaboos Cultural Center.• The Indian Ocean in World History: Educational website [30] Learn about the frankincense trade throughout

history on this interactive website.• Short review of recent studies about incense as medicine now and in ancient times [31], Short review of recent

studies about incense as medicine now and in ancient times.• Traditional Chinese medical use of frankincence [32]

References[1] "Omani World Heritage Sites" (http:/ / www. omanwhs. gov. om/ english/ Frank/ FrankincenseTree. asp). www.omanwhs.gov.om. .

Retrieved 2009-01-14.[2] BBC.co.uk (http:/ / news. bbc. co. uk/ 2/ hi/ middle_east/ 8505251. stm)[3] Paper on Chemical Composition of Frankincense (http:/ / deposit. ddb. de/ cgi-bin/ dokserv?idn=975255932& dok_var=d1& dok_ext=pdf&

filename=975255932. pdf)[4] "Queen Hatshepsut's expedition to the Land of Punt: The first oceanographic cruise?" (http:/ / ocean. tamu. edu/ Quarterdeck/ QD3. 1/

Elsayed/ elsayedhatshepsut. html). Dept. of Oceanography, Texas A&M University. . Retrieved 2010-05-08.[5] Herodotus 3,107[6] "Joint relief" (http:/ / www. herbcompanion. com/ health/ JOINT-RELIEF. aspx?page=2). www.herbcompanion.com. . Retrieved 2009-01-12.[7] "Sultan Qaboos Cultural Center" (http:/ / www. sqcc. org/ about_oman/ frankincense. htm). www.sqcc.org. . Retrieved 2009-01-17.[8] "Breaking News--The FASEB Journal (07-101865)" (http:/ / www. fasebj. org/ Press_Room/ 07_101865_Press_Release. shtml). The FASEB

Journal. . Retrieved 2008-05-20.[9] ACS.org (http:/ / pubs. acs. org/ cen/ whatstuff/ 86/ 8651sci2. html)[10] "A double blind, randomized, placebo controlled study of the efficacy and safety of 5-Loxin for treatment of osteoarthritis of the knee"

(http:/ / arthritis-research. com/ content/ 10/ 4/ R85). Arthritis Research & Therapy. . Retrieved 2008-10-09.[11] "Frankincense oil derived from Boswellia carteri induces tumor cell specific cytotoxicity." (http:/ / www. ncbi. nlm. nih. gov/ pubmed/

19296830?dopt=Citation). www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov. .[12] "Olibanum.—Frankincense." (http:/ / www. henriettesherbal. com/ eclectic/ kings/ boswellia. html). Henriette's Herbal Homepage.

www.henriettesherbal.com. . Retrieved 2009-01-14.[13] "Farmacy Query" (http:/ / sun. ars-grin. gov:8080/ npgspub/ xsql/ duke/ plantdisp. xsql?taxon=168). www.ars-grin.gov. . Retrieved

2009-01-14.[14] http:/ / www. foxnews. com/ wires/ 2006Dec22/ 0,4670,DwindlingFrankincense,00. html[15] http:/ / www. washingtonpost. com/ wp-dyn/ content/ article/ 2008/ 07/ 30/ AR2008073001481. html[16] http:/ / deposit. ddb. de/ cgi-bin/ dokserv?idn=975255932& dok_var=d1& dok_ext=pdf& filename=975255932. pdf

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[17] http:/ / www. fytokomplexy. cz/ en/ clanky/ Boswellia-serrata-1. html[18] http:/ / omanwhs. gov. om/ Default. htm[19] http:/ / www. archaeology. org/ 9705/ abstracts/ ubar. html[20] http:/ / www. omanholiday. co. uk/ FRANKINCENSE-Trail-by-Tony-Walsh-for-Abode-Magazine. pdf[21] http:/ / unitproj. library. ucla. edu/ biomed/ spice/ index. cfm?displayID=28. html[22] http:/ / www. thinkgene. com/ incense-is-psychoactive-scientists-identify-the-biology-behind-the-ceremony/[23] http:/ / www. saudiaramcoworld. com/ issue/ 200003/ scents. of. place-frankincense. in. oman. htm[24] http:/ / www. itmonline. org/ arts/ myrrh. htm[25] http:/ / www. ars-grin. gov/ cgi-bin/ duke/ farmacy2. pl[26] http:/ / whc. unesco. org/ pg. cfm?cid=31& id_site=1010[27] http:/ / www. metmuseum. org/ toah/ hd/ ince/ hd_ince. htm[28] http:/ / www. pbs. org/ wgbh/ nova/ ubar/ zarins/[29] http:/ / www. sqcc. org/ about_oman/ frankincense. htm[30] http:/ / www. indianoceanhistory. org[31] http:/ / www. life-of-science. net/ medicine/ misc/ incense-used-as-medicine. html[32] http:/ / alternativehealing. org/ ru_xiang. htm

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Article Sources and ContributorsFrankincense  Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?oldid=382654944  Contributors: AdjustShift, Alcmaeonid, AlexR, Alexandrov, Andycjp, Andygriffith, Annarchy, Antandrus,Anujna, ArgentiumOutlaw, Arthur chos, Autodidactyl, Avalon, Avihu, Aziz1005, BD2412, Badagnani, Benoni, Blyonsstl, Bobbybuilder, Bobo192, BrerRabbit-at-Alices, Brunton,CRGreathouse, CWatchman, Cacycle, Campdavid, Carlossuarez46, Cblack2, Chowbok, Chris the speller, Churchlane, Chyel, Cjrutz, Counterboint, Csernica, DabMachine, DanMS, DanielCD,Das Baz, DaughterofSun, David Schaich, Deconstructhis, Edgar181, Eleiser, Epipelagic, Ewlyahoocom, Ffx, FocalPoint, Gaius Cornelius, Giftlite, Gilliam, Gruzd, Hakeem.gadi, HenkvD,HenryLi, Heron, Hohum, Husond, Hyphen5, Ida Shaw, Ihope127, Infrogmation, IronGargoyle, Itai, Itami-chan, J.delanoy, JLaTondre, JaGa, Jacob Newton, Jamie C, Jmcorral72, JohnnyMrNinja,Kipala, Kric Cbith, LauraLizzie, Leandrod, Lexor, Li4kata, Linmhall, Mahmoudsuhail, Malrawas, Mani1, Marqoz, Mattis, Maxjthemax, Mervyn, Michael Hardy, Middayexpress, Millwonder,NawlinWiki, Nehushtan, Next-Genn-Gamer, Nihiltres, Nporiord, Oda Mari, Ohnoitsjamie, Peterlewis, Pippu d'Angelo, Polylerus, Poor Yorick, PuzzletChung, Quadell, Ranveig, Rellis1067,Ringbark, Rjwilmsi, Rkitko, Roderick Mallia, Rosewelsh, Rotational, Scampus, Scbomber, Shizhao, Sjschen, SkyCaptain, Sloth monkey, Snaxalotl, Snowdog, Sputnikcccp, Stalefries, StanShebs, Sullivand, Supine, TEB728, Tabletop, Taichi, Thppt, TicketMan, Trexpro, Ufinne, Vranak, Wetman, Whitebox, Wikiedituser, WriterHound, Wtmitchell, Yakudza, Yekrats, Zannah, Zelda,182 anonymous edits

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