Gold, Frankincense and Myrrh

You might have heard of Frankincense from the tales of the three wise men?

Frankincense is the resin from the Boswellia tree. Boswellia serrata is a tree that has been used for centuries in Asian and African medicine, but now modern research can back up the anecdotal evidence and claims for the beneficial properties of the resin from this amazing tree!

Boswellia is included in our supplements (equine, human and canine) for its anti-inflammatory support focussing on joint and muscle comfort. Interestingly there is research in vitro (in the laboratory) and other animal species, suggesting there may be other uses, for example in respiratory health, tumours, IBS, diarrhoea, ulcerative colitis and Crohn’s disease (Yu et al., 2020). We look forward to seeing how the research progresses!

The key active components of the Boswellia resin are the biologically active boswellic acids. Boswellic acids are natural, selective 5-lipoxygenase inhibitors (which help to regulate the horse’s own inflammatory response), with the most well-known being AKBA (acetyl-11-keto-beta-boswellic acid). The composition of boswellic acids will vary depending on the source used, and we know not all Boswellia used in supplements are equal, which can make it difficult for you as a horse owner to compare products!  

Boswellia in human arthritis is fairly well established and scientifically recognized to be effective in managing osteoarthritis (OA) symptoms (Yu et al., 2020). The early studies in human knee osteoarthritis showed good anti-inflammatory, anti-arthritic, and analgesic activity of Boswellia serrata extract (Kimmatkar et al., 2003, Sengupta et al. 2008; Sengupta et al., 2010). Another human study (Sontakke et al., 2007) compared Boswellia with Valdecoxib (a nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug) and found a good response to Boswellia. Research in dogs has also found Boswellia to be a safe dietary supplement, that provided symptomatic relief in osteoarthritic disease (this study looked at dogs with inflammatory joint and spinal disease) (Reichling et al., 2004).

Unfortunately, there are still limited equine studies, with those that are available often include multiple ingredients. Here are brief summaries of 2 published equine studies:

Horohov (2012) looked at the effect of exercise and nutritional supplementation on proinflammatory cytokine expression in young racehorses during training and concluded that this study provided novel evidence of nutritional supplementation reducing postexercise inflammation. Their supplement included Boswellia, Curcumin and Coenzyme Q10. As coenzyme Q10 is not a permitted feed ingredient here in the UK, we often use an alternative, melon pulp, which is a natural source of superoxide dismutase.

Beghelli (2023), supplemented 16 showjumpers with Boswellia, Verbascum thapus and Curcuma longa and looked at the effects on serum proteome, antioxidant status and anti-inflammatory gene expression. The conclusion was that this may be a useful phytotherapy to reduce inflammation and innate immunity activation triggered by intense exercise in sports horses.

You may have noticed we use different sources of Boswellia in our products: we frequently use Boswellia serrata resin in our equine powders, this provides anti-inflammatory support from a full spectrum of boswellic acids including AKBA. We also use a Boswellia extract in some of our liquids and in our human and canine formulations, known as AquaLox. AquaLox, is a market leading, concentrated (78% AKBA) extract, with some exciting research to support its use. All our sources of Boswellia have clearly defined levels of boswellic acids, to ensure efficacy in our finished products.

This explains why you may see 7000mg Boswellia per serve in Buteless Super Strength, but 60mg per serve of Boswellia extract in Buteless High Strength Solution – they are not directly comparable, but both provide great levels of support for musculoskeletal comfort, they just do it in slightly different ways.  

Just like the 3 wisemen, give your horse, human or dog, the gift of Frankincense (Boswellia) for joint and muscle comfort, this Christmas! Wishing you a happy and healthy Christmas!

References:

Beghelli et al. (2023) Dietary Supplementation with Boswellia serrata, Verbascum Thapsus, and Curcuma longa in Show Jumping Horses: Effects on Serum Proteome, Antioxidant Status, and Anti-Inflammatory Gene Expression. Life 13,750.

Horohov et al. (2012) The Effect of Exercise and Nutritional Supplementation on Proinflammatory Cytokine Expression in Young Racehorses During Training. Journal of Equine Veterinary Science 32, 805-815.

Kimmatkar et al. (2003) Efficacy and tolerability of Boswellia serrata extract in treatment of osteoarthritis of knee – A randomized double blind placebo controlled trial. Phytomedicine, 1, 3-7.

Reichling et al. (2004) Dietary support with Boswellia resin in canine inflammatory joint and spinal disease. Schweiz. Arch. Tierheilk,146:2,71-79

Sengupta et al. (2008) A double blind, randomized, placebo controlled study of the efficacy and safety of 5-Loxin for treatment of osteoarthritis of the knee. Arthritis Research and Therapy, 10:R85.

Sengupta et al. (2010) Comparative Efficacy and trolerability of 5-Loxin and Aflapin Against Osteoarthritis of the Knee: A Double Blind, Randomized, Placebo Controlled Clinical Study. International Journal of Medical Sciences. 7, 366-377.

Sontakke et al. (2007) Open, randomized, controlled trial of Boswellia serrata extract as compared to valedecoxib in osteoarthritis of knee. Indian Journal of Pharamcology, 39:27-9.

Yu et al. (2020) Effectiveness of Boswellia and Boswellia extract for osteoarthritis patients: a systematic review and meta-analysis. BMC Complementary Medicine and Therapies 20:255