Boswellia carteri

The first observation is the similarity between the chemical compositions of both the Boswellia carteri and Boswellia sacra. For these three olibanum samples, a-pinene (2), (3-myrcene (8) and limonene (14) are the predominant monoterpenes. p-Caryophyllene (73) is the major sesquiterpene besides a-copaene (65), a-humulene (also called a-caryophyllene) (78) and caryophyllene oxide (95). The characteristic olibanum compounds isoincensole and isoincensole acetate (128) together with cembrene A (120) are the main diterpenes. 

Eight olibanum samples of unknown botanical origin have been analysed [26]. The chemical compositions are summarized in Table 10.3 for three of them. Both the olibanum coming from Somalia and that from a market in Ta izz (Yemen) have been attributed to Boswellia carteri or sacra on the basis of the occurrence of the characteristic diterpenes isoincensole and isoincensole acetate (128) together with diterpene 126. The absence of methylchavicol (38), oxygenated sesquiterpene 91 and diterpene 124 and the presence in relatively large amount of (3-caryophyllene (73), ot-humulene (78) and caryophyllene oxide (95) excluded the hypothesis of a B. serrata sample. 

Essential oils have a value called a flash point, which gives a measure of their flammability. It can be defined as the lowest temperature at which the vapour above a liquid can be ignited in air. Typical values for essential oils are in the range 33 °C to 77 °C. The lowest values are found in oils such as Boswellia carteri (frankincense) at 32 °C and citrus oils at around 43 °C, and the highest in woody oils, with Santalum album (sandalwood) having a flash point above 100°C and Cedrus at antica (Atlas cedarwood) one of 110 °C. 

Olibanum resin (Caelo), extract of Boswellia carteri Dosage form tablet H 15 Essential oil (resin from Egypt), Boswellia carteri Essential oil (resin from East Afrika)... 

A small amount of isoincensole oxide (116) has been isolated from frankincense, the resin of Boswellia carteri. It is also a minor product of the epoxidation of incensole. The epoxide ring is very inert in this compound. 

Olibanum Resin Boswellia carteri Middle East... 

Boswellia serrata olibanum has a chemical composition close to that of both the B. carteri and of B. sacra, but contains compounds that are absent in those from other Boswellia and could be used as markers methylchavicol (38), p-anisaldehyde (47), methyleugenol (70), isocaryophyllene (82), sesquiterpene 91, elemicin (92) and an unidentified diterpene (124) eluting between cembrene C (123) and verticilla-4(20),7,ll-triene (125). It is devoid of (5-caryophyllene (73), a-humulene (78), caryophyllene oxide (95) and bornyl acetate (50). 

Trees of the genus Boswellia (Burseraceae) exude gum frankincense, a mixture of a resin and an acidic polysaccharide. The acidic polysaccharides of the exudates of Boswellia papyrifera and B, carteri are indicated to be substituted, branched galactans (see 159, 162, 174). The polysaccharide obtained from gum myrrh, which exudes from the damaged bark of Commiphora myrrha (Burseraceae) (159, 174), is difficult to isolate because of its association with protein (162). 

---