Boswellic Acid- Potential tumors suppressant terpenoid -Photochemistry, Extraction and Isolation Methods -A comprehensive review study

Abstract

Natural products had served as a major source of drugs for centuries and about half of the pharmaceuticals used today are derived from natural products. Medicinal plants are of important therapeutic aid for various ailments Herbal constituents continue to influence the medicines of today and up to 25% of all prescription drugs in the United States have at least one active ingredient that comes from plant extracts or synthesized plant compounds. Cancer is a group of diseases characterized by uncontrolled growth and spread of abnormal cells. Tumor metastases to distant sites generally have a greater effect than the primary tumors on the frequency of complications and the patient’s quality of life and mortality. The gum resin of Boswellia serrata, frankincense, has a number of components including oils, [α-Thujene], terpenols, monosaccharide’s and most importantly terpenes. Boswellic acids present in boswellia extracts, is a pentacyclic terpenoid, which has been shown to have antitumor effects in different types of tumor cells including colon, prostate, leukocytes, liver and brain.