An Update on Pharmacological Potential of Boswellic Acids against Chronic Diseases

• Main Authors: Nand Kishor Roy, Dey Parama, Kishore Banik, Devivasha Bordoloi, Amrita Khwairakpam Devi, Krishan Kumar Thakur, Ganesan Padmavathi, Mehdi Shakibaei, Lu Fan, Gautam Sethi, Ajaikumar B. Kunnumakkara
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: MDPI AG 2019-08-01
• Series: International Journal of Molecular Sciences
• Subjects: boswellic acid; chronic diseases; molecular targets; pharmacokinetics; bioavailability
• Online Access: https://www.mdpi.com/1422-0067/20/17/4101

Natural compounds, in recent years, have attracted significant attention for their use in the prevention and treatment of diverse chronic diseases as they are devoid of major toxicities. Boswellic acid (BA), a series of pentacyclic triterpene molecules, is isolated from the gum resin of <i>Boswellia serrata</i> and <i>Boswellia carteri</i>. It proved to be one such agent that has exhibited efficacy against various chronic diseases like arthritis, diabetes, asthma, cancer, inflammatory bowel disease, Parkinson&#8217;s disease, Alzheimer&#8217;s, etc. The molecular targets attributed to its wide range of biological activities include transcription factors, kinases, enzymes, receptors, growth factors, etc. The present review is an attempt to demonstrate the diverse pharmacological uses of BA, along with its underlying molecular mechanism of action against different ailments. Further, this review also discusses the roadblocks associated with the pharmacokinetics and bioavailability of this promising compound and strategies to overcome those limitations for developing it as an effective drug for the clinical management of chronic diseases.