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Biological Activities of Frankincense Essential Oil in Human Dermal Fibroblasts

Authors:
Lawry Han at University of Utah
Lawry Han
Damian Rodriguez at doTERRA
Damian Rodriguez
Tory L Parker at 4Life Research
Tory L Parker
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Abstract and Figures

Although frankincense essential oil (FREO¹) has become increasingly popular in skin care, research on its biological activities in human skin cells is scarce, if not completely absent. In the current study, we explored the biological activities of FREO in pre-inflamed human dermal fibroblasts by analyzing the levels of 17 important protein biomarkers pertinent to inflammation and tissue remodeling. FREO exhibited robust anti-proliferative activity in these skin cells. It also significantly inhibited collagen III, interferon gamma-induced protein 10, and intracellular cell adhesion molecule 1. We also studied its effect in regulating genome-wide gene expression. FREO robustly modulated global gene expression. Furthermore, Ingenuity® Pathway Analysis showed that FREO affected many important signaling pathways that are closely related to inflammation, immune response, and tissue remodeling. This study provides the first evidence of the biological activities of FREO in human dermal fibroblasts. Consistent with existing studies in other models, the current study suggests that FREO possesses promising potential to modulate the biological processes of inflammation and tissue remodeling in human skin.
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Accepted Manuscript
Biological Activities of Frankincense Essential Oil in Human Dermal Fibroblasts
Xuesheng Han, Damian Rodriguez, Tory L. Parker
PII: S2214-0085(17)30002-0
DOI: 10.1016/j.biopen.2017.01.003
Reference: BIOPEN 34
To appear in: Biochimie Open
Received Date: 12 December 2016
Revised Date: 25 January 2017
Accepted Date: 27 January 2017
Please cite this article as: X. Han, D. Rodriguez, T.L Parker, Biological Activities of Frankincense
Essential Oil in Human Dermal Fibroblasts, Biochimie Open (2017), doi: 10.1016/j.biopen.2017.01.003.
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Title: Biological Activities of Frankincense Essential Oil in Human Dermal Fibroblasts
Authors and Affiliations:
Xuesheng Han
, Damian Rodriguez, and Tory L Parker
dōTERRA International, LLC, 389 S. 1300 W. Pleasant Grove, UT 84062, USA
Corresponding author: Xuesheng Han, dōTERRA International, LLC, 389 S. 1300 W. Pleasant
Grove, UT 84062, USA. Email: lhan@doterra.com.
Running title: Effect of Frankincense essential oil in human skin cells
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Abstract
Although frankincense essential oil (FREO
1
) has become increasingly popular in skin care,
research on its biological activities in human skin cells is scarce, if not completely absent. In the
current study, we explored the biological activities of FREO in pre-inflamed human dermal
fibroblasts by analyzing the levels of 17 important protein biomarkers pertinent to
inflammation and tissue remodeling. FREO exhibited robust anti-proliferative activity in these
skin cells. It also significantly inhibited collagen III, interferon gamma-induced protein 10, and
intracellular cell adhesion molecule 1. We also studied its effect in regulating genome-wide
gene expression. FREO robustly modulated global gene expression. Furthermore, Ingenuity®
Pathway Analysis showed that FREO affected many important signaling pathways that are
closely related to inflammation, immune response, and tissue remodeling. This study provides
the first evidence of the biological activities of FREO in human dermal fibroblasts. Consistent
with existing studies in other models, the current study suggests that FREO possesses promising
potential to modulate the biological processes of inflammation and tissue remodeling in human
skin.
Keywords: inflammation; immune response; tissue remodeling; alpha-pinene; anti-
proliferation; skin health
1
FREO, frankincense essential oil
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1. Introduction
Frankincense is a resin obtained from trees of the genus Boswellia. Historically, frankincense
whole resin, its extract, and essential oil have been extensively used for a number of health
purposes in Chinese and Ayurvedic medicine. FREO has been traditionally used for its anti-
inflammatory property. Recently, FREO has become increasingly popular for promoting skin
health. However, a literature search showed no published study of the biological activities of
FREO in human skin cells.
In this study, we explored the biological activities of a commercially available FREO in
human dermal fibroblasts in vitro. We first studied the effect of FREO on the levels of 17
important biomarkers related to inflammation, immune response, and tissue remodeling in the
skin cells. Then, we studied the effect of FREO on the expression levels of 21,224 genes, using
genome-wide analysis of the same cells. The results showed that FREO was biologically active
and significantly affected expression of these biomarkers and genes.
2. Materials and Methods
All experiments were conducted in a BioMAP HDF3CGF system, a cell culture of human
dermal fibroblasts that is designed to model chronic inflammation and fibrosis in a robust and
reproducible way. The system consists of three components: a cell type, stimuli to create the
disease environment, and set of biomarker (protein) readouts to examine how treatments
affect that disease environment [1].
2.1. Cell cultures
Primary human neonatal foreskin fibroblasts (HDFn) were obtained as previously described
[2]. HDFn were plated in low serum conditions, 24-h before stimulation with cytokines. Cell
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culture and stimulation conditions for HDF3CGF assays have been described in detail
elsewhere, and were performed in a 96-well format [2,3].
2.2. Protein-based readouts
Direct ELISA was used to measure the biomarker levels of cell-associated and cell
membrane targets. Soluble factors from supernatants were quantified using HTRF® detection,
bead-based multiplex immunoassay, or capture ELISA. Overt adverse effects of the test agents
on cell proliferation and viability (i.e., cytotoxicity) were measured using SRB
2
assay. For
proliferation assays, cells were cultured and then assayed after 72 h, which was optimized for
the HDF3CGF system. Detailed information has been described elsewhere [2]. Measurements
were performed in triplicate wells. See Table S1 in Supplementary Materials for a glossary of
the biomarkers used in this study.
2.3. RNA isolation
Total RNA was isolated from cell lysates using the Zymo Quick-RNA™ MiniPrep kit (Zymo
Research Corporation, Irvine, CA), according to manufacturer’s instructions. RNA concentration
was determined using NanoDrop ND-2000 (Thermo Fisher Scientific). RNA quality was assessed
with a Bioanalyzer 2100 (Agilent Technologies, Santa Clara, CA) and an Agilent RNA 6000 Nano
Kit. All samples had an A260/A280 ratio between 1.9 and 2.1, and an RNA Integrity Number
score greater than 8.0.
2.4. Microarray analysis for genome-wide gene expression
A 0.003% (v/v) concentration of FREO was tested for its effect on expression of 21,224
genes in the HDF3CGF system after 24-h treatment. Samples for microarray analysis were
2
SRB, sulforhodamine B
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processed by Asuragen, Inc. (Austin, TX), according to the company’s standard operating
procedures. Biotin-labeled cRNA was prepared from 200 ng of total RNA with an Illumina®
TotalPrep™ RNA Amplification kit (Thermo Fisher Scientific) and one round of amplification. The
cRNA yields were quantified via UV spectroscopy, and the distribution of transcript sizes was
assessed using the Agilent Bioanalyzer 2100. Labeled cRNA (750 ng) was used to probe Illumina
Human HT-12 v4 Expression BeadChips (Illumina, Inc., San Diego, CA). Hybridizing, washing,
staining with streptavidin-conjugated Cyanine-3, and scanning of the Illumina arrays was
performed according to the manufacturer’s instructions. Illumina BeadScan software was used
to produce the data files for each array; raw data were extracted using Illumina BeadStudio
software.
Raw data were uploaded into R [3] and analyzed for quality-control metrics using the
beadarray package [4]. Data were normalized using quantile normalization [5], then re-
annotated and filtered to remove probes that were non-specific or mapped to intronic or
intragenic regions [6]. The remaining probe sets comprised the data set for the remainder of
the analysis. Fold-change expression for each value was calculated as the log
2
ratio of FREO to
vehicle control. These fold-change values were uploaded to Ingenuity® Pathway Analysis (IPA®
3
,
QIAGEN, Redwood City, CA, www.qiagen.com/ingenuity) to generate the network and pathway
analyses.
2.5. Reagents
FREO (lot number 143504A, dōTERRA International LLC, Pleasant Grove, UT, USA) was
diluted in DMSO to 8X the specified concentrations (final DMSO concentration in culture media
3
IPA, Ingenuity® Pathway Analysis
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was no more than 0.1% (v/v)); 25 µL of each 8X solution was added to the cell culture to a final
volume of 200 µL. DMSO (0.1% (v/v)) served as the vehicle control. Gas chromatography–mass
spectrometry analysis of FREO indicated that its major chemical constitutes (i.e., >5%) were
alpha-pinene (57%), limonene (8%), and caprylyl acetate (7%).
3. Results
3.1. Bioactivity profile of FREO in pre-inflamed human dermal fibroblasts
Four different concentrations (0.003, 0.001, 0.00033, and 0.00011% (v/v)) of FREO were
initially tested for biological activity in the dermal fibroblasts. None of the four concentrations
was overtly cytotoxic, and, therefore, the highest concentration (i.e., 0.003%) was analyzed
further. FREO showed significant anti-proliferative activity in dermal fibroblasts. Biomarkers
were designated if FREO values were significantly different (p < 0.05) from vehicle controls,
with an effect size of at least 10% (more than 0.05 log ratio units) (Figure 1). The level of a
tissue remodeling biomarker, collagen III, decreased in response to FREO. FREO significantly
reduced levels of
interferon gamma-induced protein 10 (
IP-10
4
) and
intracellular cell adhesion
molecule 1 (
ICAM-1
5
), both important inflammatory biomarkers. FREO also slightly lowered the
levels of PAI-I, serine proteinase inhibitor and inhibitor of tissue plasminogen activator (tPA)
and urokinase (uPA), which is involved in tissue remodeling.
4
IP-10, interferon gamma-induced protein 10
5
ICAM-1, intracellular cell adhesion molecule 1
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Figure 1. The bioactivity profile of FREO (0.003% (v/v) in DMSO) in BioMAP System HDF3CGF. X-
axis denotes protein-based biomarker readouts. Y-axis denotes the relative expression levels of
biomarkers compared to vehicle control values, in log form. Vehicle control values are shaded
in gray, denoting the 95% confidence level. A * indicates a biomarker designated with “key
activity,” i.e., biomarker values were significantly different (p < 0.05) from vehicle controls, with
an effect size of at least 10% (more than 0.05 log ratio units).
3.2. Effects of FREO on gene expression: a genome-wide total RNA expression assay
To further explore the effect of 0.003% (v/v) FREO on human skin cells, we analyzed its
effect on the RNA expression of 21,224 genes. The results show a robust effect of FREO on
regulating human genes, with many genes being upregulated and many others being
downregulated. Among the top 83 regulated genes (absolute value of the fold-change ratio of
gene expression over vehicle control ≥ 1.5) by FREO, 42 were upregulated, and 41 were
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downregulated (Table S2). IPA analysis showed that the bioactivity of FREO significantly
overlapped with many canonical pathways (Figure 2) from the literature-validated database
(IPA®, QIAGEN, Redwood City, CA, www.qiagen.com/ingenuity). Many of these signaling
pathways are closely related to the biological processes of inflammation, immune response,
and tissue remodeling in human cells. See Supplementary Materials for more details.
Figure 2. Top 20 canonical pathways matching FREO’s bioactivity profile of gene expression in
the HDF3CGF system, produced via Ingenuity® Pathway Analysis (IPA®, QIAGEN, Redwood City,
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CA, www.qiagen.com/ingenuity). Each p-value is calculated with the right-tailed Fisher's Exact
Test. The p-value measures the likelihood that the observed association between a specific
pathway and the dataset is due to random chance. The smaller p value (the bigger - log (p-
value), indicated by the black bars) the pathway has, the more significantly it matches with the
bioactivity of FREO. A ratio, indicated by each gray bar, is calculated by taking the number of
genes from the FREO dataset that participate in a canonical pathway, and dividing it by the total
number of genes in that pathway.
4. Discussion
4.1. The anti-inflammatory and immune-modulating properties of FREO
Inflammation is a protective response that involves immune cells, blood vessels, and
molecular mediators. The purpose of inflammation is to eliminate the initial cause of cell injury,
remove necrotic cells and tissues damaged from the injury and inflammatory process, and
initiate tissue repair. Chronic inflammation may lead to a variety of diseases, such as hay fever,
periodontitis, atherosclerosis, rheumatoid arthritis, and cancer [7,8].
FREO significantly reduced the levels of IP-10 and ICAM-1, important pro-inflammatory
biomarkers, suggesting its anti-inflammatory potential. Alpha-pinene, the top constituent of
FREO, is widely recognized as the major anti-inflammatory component of FREO. Gayathri et al.
showed that alpha-pinene showed anti-inflammatory properties in human peripheral blood
mononuclear cells and mouse macrophages through inhibition of tumor necrosis factor-α,
interleukin-1β, nitric oxide, and mitogen activated protein kinases [9]. An in vitro study showed
that isolated alpha-pinene had the ability to reduce the expression of pro-inflammatory
cytokines [10]. Another study found that alpha-pinene inhibited the nuclear translocation of
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NF-kB induced by
lipopolysaccharide
in THP-1 cells, explaining its benefits in the treatment of
upper and lower airway diseases [11].
Recent research has also provided evidence that alpha-pinene has some immune-enhancing
properties, particularly regarding enhanced T-cell activity. In two related studies, the effects on
human immune function of essential oils from trees were investigated [12,13]. In both studies,
it was found that exposure to alpha-pinene increased T-cell activity and decreased stress
hormone levels. Consistent with these studies, microarray results of current study showed that
FREO affected some important inflammation- and immune-related signaling pathways. Gene
expression of many cytokines and other important players in inflammation and immune
responses was significantly inhibited in pre-stimulated, inflamed skin cells, indicating that FREO
has potential immune modulating properties.
4.2. Potential roles of FREO in the wound healing process
Wound healing is an intricate process, where the skin or other body tissue repairs itself
after injury. This process is composed of several phases: blood clotting (hemostasis),
inflammation, growth of new tissue (proliferation), and remodeling of tissue (maturation) [14].
The wound healing process is not only complex, but also fragile, and it is susceptible to
disruption, leading to the formation of non-healing, chronic wounds [15]. Collagen III is
secreted by fibroblasts during the wound remodeling or repairing process, prior to the
deposition of collagen I. FREO dramatically lowered the level of collagen III, and therefore, it
would likely improve healing by reducing the chance of scar formation or wound persistence.
Additionally, the robust, anti-proliferative activity of FREO in skin cells could also contribute to
better wound healing.
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The significant, anti-proliferative activity of FREO observed in this study may have important
implications in skin and other cells. An in vitro study showed that FREO induced cell death in J82
bladder cancer cells via NRF-2-mediated oxidative stress [16]. FREO and/or its top constituent,
alpha-pinene, has also been shown to be anti-proliferative and pro-apoptotic toward several
other types of cancer cells [17–21]. Further research into FREO’s activities in cancer cells will
better our understanding of its biological mechanism of action.
5. Conclusions
To our knowledge, this was the first study of the biological activities of FREO in human
dermal fibroblasts. FREO was significantly anti-proliferative to these cells. FREO significantly
inhibited the production of collagen III, IP-10, and ICAM-1. Genome-wide gene expression
analysis showed that FREO modulated global gene expression. It also robustly affected signaling
pathways which are relevant to inflammation and tissue remodeling.
Acknowledgement
This study was funded by dōTERRA Intl (UT, USA). We would like to thank Editage (www.editage
.com) for English language editing.
Conflicts of Interest
X.H., D.R., and T.P. are employees of dōTERRA.
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Please consider as potential referees:
Zhenhua Liu, Ph.D.
Email: zliu@nutrition.umass.edu
Dr. Liu is an expert in the research of health benefits of natural products, and their impact on
molecular pathways such as Wnt-pathway.
Sreejayan Nair, Ph.D.
Email: Sreejay@uwyo.edu
Dr. Nair is an expert in studying the health benefits of natural compounds, including essential
oils.
Runzhi Lai, Ph.D.
Email:
r.lai@utah.edu
Dr. Lai is an expert in molecular biology and biochemistry.
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•
Frankincense essential oil
(FREO) was anti-proliferative to human dermal fibroblasts.
• FREO significantly inhibited collagen III, interferon gamma-induced protein 10, and
intracellular cell adhesion molecule 1.
• FREO robustly modulated global gene expression.
• FREO affected many important signaling pathways that are closely related to
inflammation, immune response, and tissue remodeling.

Supplementary resource (1)

Supplementary Material
Data
February 2017
Lawry Han · Damian Rodriguez · Tory L Parker
... Frankincense has been extensively used for medical purposes, for thousands of years, in traditional Islamic, Chinese and Indian medicine [6,10], in addition to its use as chewing gum, incense or in perfumery [11]. Frankincense products are available as resins, extracts and essential oils. ...
... Various frankincense preparations are marketed as dietary supplements as well as their wide use as valuable ingredients in skin care products [7,11]. Pharmacological research highlighted myriad biological activities of frankincense essential oil (FEO) including antimicrobial, anti-inflammatory, analgesic, anticancer and immunomodulatory activities [6,10,[12][13][14][15]. ...
... Its anti-inflammatory effect has been demonstrated via inhibiting the transactivation of NF-kB through the stabilization of I k Bα [16]. Besides, the oil possessed a promising potential to modulate the biological processes of inflammation and tissue remodeling in human skin [10]. Additionally, FEO-loaded hydrogel wound dressings demonstrated antimicrobial and wound-healing efficacy in rats [17]. ...
Protective potential of frankincense essential oil and its loaded solid lipid nanoparticles against UVB-induced photodamage in rats via MAPK and PI3K/AKT signaling pathways; A promising anti-aging therapy
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Frankincense oil has gained increased popularity in skin care, yet its anti-aging effect remains unclear. The current study aimed to investigate the anti-photoaging effect of frankincense (Boswellia papyrifera (Del.) Hochst., Family Burseraceae) essential oil in an in vivo model. The oil was initially extracted by two methods: hydro-distillation (HD) and microwave-assisted hydro-distillation (MAHD). GC/MS analysis revealed the dominance of n-octyl acetate, along with other marker compounds of B. papyrifera including octanol and diterpene components (verticilla 4(20) 7, 11-triene and incensole acetate). Thereafter, preliminary investigation of the anti-collagenase and anti-elastase activities of the extracted oils revealed the superior anti-aging effect of HD-extracted oil (FO), comparable to epigallocatechin gallate. FO was subsequently formulated into solid lipid nanoparticles (FO-SLNs) via high shear homogenization to improve its solubility and skin penetration characteristics prior to in vivo testing. The optimimal formulation prepared with 0.5% FO, and 4% Tween® 80, demonstrated nanosized spherical particles with high entrapment efficiency percentage and sustained release for 8 hours. The anti-photoaging effect of FO and FO-SLNs was then evaluated in UVB-irradiated hairless rats, compared to Vitamin A palmitate as a positive standard. FO and FO-SLNs restored the antioxidant capacity (SOD and CAT) and prohibited inflammatory markers (IL6, NFκB p65) in UVB-irradiated rats via downregulation of MAPK (pERK, pJNK, and pp38) and PI3K/AKT signaling pathways, alongside upregulating TGF-β expression. Subsequently, our treatments induced Procollagen I synthesis and downregulation of MMPs (MMP1, MMP9), where FO-SLNs exhibited superior anti-photoaging effect, compared to FO and Vitamin A, highlighting the use of SLNs as a promising nanocarrier for FO. In particular, FO-SLNs revealed normal epidermal and dermal histological structures, protected against UVβ-induced epidermal thickness and dermal collagen degradation. Our results indicated the potential use of FO-SLNs as a promising topical anti-aging therapy.
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... Studies suggest that FEO enhances the proliferation phase by stimulating fibroblast activity and encouraging granulation tissue formation [13]. Additionally, it aids in the remodeling phase by promoting collagen synthesis, improving the tensile strength of the wound, and minimizing scarring. ...
Protective Effects of Frankincense Oil on Wound Healing: Downregulating Caspase-3 Expression to Facilitate the Transition from the Inflammatory to Proliferative Phase
Article
Full-text available
  • Mar 2025
Background/Objectives: Wound healing is a complex process involving inflammation, oxidative stress, immune modulation, and tissue regeneration. Frankincense essential oil (FEO), derived from Boswellia species, is known for its anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, and therapeutic properties. This study investigates the protective effects of FEO in an excision wound model in rats, focusing on oxidative stress reduction, inflammatory cytokine modulation, and caspase-3 regulation. Methods: The chemical composition of FEO was analyzed using gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS). Rats with excision wounds were treated with FEO, and its efficacy was assessed using biochemical and histological analyses. Caspase-3 expression, IL-1β, TNF-α, and CD68 levels were measured, along with oxidative stress markers. Wound contraction, epithelialization and collagen synthesis were also evaluated. Immunohistochemical and histopathological assessments were performed to analyze inflammatory infiltration and tissue remodeling. Results: FEO, rich in alpha-phellandrene (10.52%) and limonene (7.31%), significantly downregulated caspase-3, reducing apoptosis in the wound environment. It also lowered IL-1β and TNF-α levels, confirming anti-inflammatory effects. Additionally, FEO modulated CD68 expression, shifting the wound environment from inflammatory to healing. The oil antioxidant activity reduced oxidative stress, limiting caspase-3-mediated apoptosis and enhancing cell survival. FEO treatment accelerated wound contraction, improved epithelialization, and increased collagen synthesis. Histological analysis revealed reduced inflammatory infiltration and enhanced tissue remodeling. Conclusions: FEO integrates anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, and anti-apoptotic mechanisms to promote wound healing and tissue repair. Its ability to modulate caspase-3, IL-1β, TNF-α, CD68, and oxidative stress markers along with its major constituents such as alpha-phellandrene and limonene highlights its potential as a natural therapeutic agent for wound management and regenerative medicine.
View
... However, the cellular and molecular mechanisms involved in the decrease of intracellular infection by P. gingivalis in human GECs had not yet been examined. A previous study showed that frankincense essential oil robustly modulated genome-wide gene expression in human dermal fibroblasts [58]. Given that frankincense may affect the expression of several genes in host cells, we hypothesize that B. serrata extracts may modulate the expression of host surface receptors involved in the recognition, uptake, and immune responses against P. gingivalis. ...
Frankincense (Boswellia serrata) Extract Effects on Growth and Biofilm Formation of Porphyromonas gingivalis, and Its Intracellular Infection in Human Gingival Epithelial Cells
Article
Full-text available
Frankincense is produced by Boswellia trees, which can be found throughout the Middle East and parts of Africa and Asia. Boswellia serrata extract has been shown to have anti-cancer, anti-inflammatory, and antimicrobial effects. Periodontitis is an oral chronic inflammatory disease that affects nearly half of the US population. We investigated the antimicrobial effects of B. serrata extract on two oral pathogens associated with periodontitis. Using the minimum inhibitory concentration and crystal violet staining methods, we demonstrated that Porphyromonas gingivalis growth and biofilm formation were impaired by treatment with B. serrata extracts. However, the effects on Fusobacterium nucleatum growth and biofilm formation were not significant. Using quantification of colony-forming units and microscopy techniques, we also showed that concentrations of B. serrata that were not toxic for host cells decreased intracellular P. gingivalis infection in human gingival epithelial cells. Our results show antimicrobial activity of a natural product extracted from Boswellia trees (B. serrata) against periodontopathogens. Thus, B. serrata has the potential for preventing and/or treating periodontal diseases. Future studies will identify the molecular components of B. serrata extracts responsible for the beneficial effects.
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... Frankincense, a splendidly organic resin extracted from the majestic Boswellia trees of the esteemed Burseraceae family (Han et al., 2017), emanates from none other than the illustrious Boswellia carterii (B. carterii), which thrives in the arid and lofty realms of East Africa, China, and India (Frank et al., 2009). ...
In vitro Efficacy of Boswellia carterii Resin Extracts Formulated as an Emulsifiable Concentrate Against Tetranychus urticae and Phytopathogenic fungi
Article
Full-text available
  • Oct 2023
Contemporary agriculture heavily relies on pesticides for pest eradication and disease management. Consequently, current study was carried out to assess the acaricidal/antifungal efficacy of emulsifiable concentrate (10 % EC) derived from Boswellia carterii (B. carterii) against adult females of Tetranychus urticae (T. urticae), and five fungal pathogens. The meticulous examination of the chemical constitution of the crude extracts derived from the resin of B. carterii was conducted through the employment of the venerable technique known as Gas-Liquid Chromatography (GLC). The formulated petroleum-ether extract (FPEE) and formulated ethyl-acetate extract (FEAE) of B. carterii at a concentration of 10 mg ml−1 exhibited notable antioxidant activity with rates of 62.0 % and 90.8 %, respectively. In vitro, the FEAE exhibited potent inhibition against all the tested phytopathogenic fungi at different concentrations, whereas FPEE showed comparatively less efficacy. Interestingly, at 4000 ppm concentration, FEAE completely ceased the mycelial growth compared with the control. Moreover, following a span of 72 h of intervention, FPEE exhibited a greater degree of toxicity towards mature females of the T. urticae. This was evidenced by the LC50 value of 422.52 parts per million (ppm) for FPEE, which surpassed the LC50 value of 539.50 ppm observed for FEAE. In summary, the present study indicates that B. carterii resin formulated as an emulsifiable concentrate (10 % EC) can offer a natural and effective alternative for integrated pest management, thereby reducing reliance on synthetic pesticides and offering a more environmentally sustainable strategy for pest control.
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Natural compounds for wound healing: An integrated bioactive prospective
Article
  • Feb 2025
Diverse natural compounds derived from either plant or animal sources have been shown to possess potent antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, antimicrobial and immunomodulatory properties. Such compounds could be beneficial for managing wound healing via developing multipurpose bioactive wound dressings. However, many of these compounds especially essential oils and phytochemicals cannot be used in their free form owing to their sensitivity, bioavailability and contact allergies, which as a result could hamper their implementation in wound healing. In this context, the most important classes of natural compounds implicated in wound healing will be highlighted with special emphasis on their effect in each wound healing phase. Among these compounds are essential oils, phytochemicals, plant resins, andplant-based and animal-based biopolymers. In addition, the most recent trends in developing multi-functional wound dressings based on the integrative actions of these active natural compounds will be highlighted. These wound dressings could be hydrogels, film membranes or nanoparticles-in-nanofibers.
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FRANKINCENSE STYRAX SPECIES OF ANTI-INFLAMMATORY IN WOUND
Article
Full-text available
  • Aug 2024
  • Community Pract
Styrax plants, belonging to the styraceae family, were extensively utilized in different ancient societies. The ancient Egyptians employed frankincense for addressing fever, colds, asthma, and hemostasis. It was also used for various purposes, such as treating urinary tract infections, respiratory issues, gynecological concerns, and skin ailments. There is much scientific research on its anti-inflammatory effects to support its ethnopharmacological use. In this review, the efficacy of four Styrax species, namely: S. Japonica A-E (1-5). S. Boswellia sacra, S. tonkinences;S. benzoin. This review article aims to provide a comprehensive view of the potential of the Frankincense Styrax species and its active compounds so that they can be used and developed further for wound treatment in the future. The method used is through literature searches first collected from searches using the Google Scholar, PubMed and Scopus sites. The keywords used in this search were "Styrax, pharmacological effects, anti-inflammatory, wounds, burns". The findings indicate that active components found in Frankincense Styrax Species are cinnamic acid, benzoic acid, benzaldehyde, benzyl benzoate, vanillin, styrene, styracin, coniferyl benzoate among others. This substance is recognized for its diverse pharmacological properties, which encompass antibacterial, anesthetic, anti-inflammatory, antispasmodic, antimutagenic, fungicide, herbicide effects. Additionally it acts as a tyrosinase inhibitor and inhibits LDL synthesis. Based on this research, it can be inferred that Frankincense Styrax Species shows promise for treating a variety of illnesses. The research extensively investigates the anti-inflammatory characteristics of styrax species and discusses potential future research paths and outlooks for utilizing plants as suppliers of anti-inflammatory substances. The majority of the pharmacological studies on assessing the anti-inflammatory impacts were conducted using extracts from styrax species in both laboratory and animal experiments. Among all the studied styrax species, S. boswellia stands out as the most thoroughly researched in terms of its anti-inflammatory effects.
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Plant as Potential Resources for Efficacious Essential Oils: Underpinning Aromatherapy Evolution
Chapter
Full-text available
  • Apr 2024
Aromatherapy is a medical practice that uses aromatic compounds or essential oils to influence mood and health. Essential oils used in aromatherapy are created from a wide variety of medicinal plants, flowers, herbs, roots, and trees that are found all over the world and have significant, well-documented benefits on enhancing physical, emotional, and spiritual wellbeing. This book is a comprehensive reference on aromatic compounds present in essential oils and their therapeutic use. Starting from fundamentals of essential oil biosynthesis the book guides the reader through their basic biochemistry, toxicology, profiling, blending and clinical applications. The concluding chapters also present focused information about the therapeutic effects of essential oils on specific physiological systems, plant sources, skin treatment and cancer therapeutics. The combination of basic and applied knowledge will provide readers with all the necessary information for understanding how to develop preclinical formulations and standard clinical therapies with essential oils. This is an essential reference for anyone interested in aromatherapy and the science of essential oils.
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Anti-tumor effect of α-pinene on human hepatoma cell lines through inducing G2/M cell cycle arrest
Article
Full-text available
  • Feb 2015
Pine needle oil from crude extract of pine needles has been used as an anti-cancer agent in Traditional Chinese Medicine. The α-pinene is a natural compound isolated from pine needle oil which has been shown anti-cancer activity. In previous study, we found that pine needle oil exhibited significant inhibitory effect on hepatoma carcinoma BEL-7402 cells. In this study, we investigate the inhibition of α-pinene on hepatoma carcinoma BEL-7402 cells in vitro and in vivo and further explore the mechanism. The results show that liver cancer cell growth was inhibited obviously with inhibitory rate of 79.3% in vitro and 69.1% in vivo, Chk1 and Chk2 levels were upregulated, CyclinB, CDC25 and CDK1 levels were downregulated. Copyright © 2015 Japanese Pharmacological Society. Production and hosting by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.
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Differential effects of selective frankincense (Ru Xiang) essential oil versus non-selective sandalwood (Tan Xiang) essential oil on cultured bladder cancer cells: A microarray and bioinformatics study
Article
Full-text available
  • Jul 2014
  • Chin Med
Background Frankincense (Boswellia carterii, known as Ru Xiang in Chinese) and sandalwood (Santalum album, known as Tan Xiang in Chinese) are cancer preventive and therapeutic agents in Chinese medicine. Their biologically active ingredients are usually extracted from frankincense by hydrodistillation and sandalwood by distillation. This study aims to investigate the anti-proliferative and pro-apoptotic activities of frankincense and sandalwood essential oils in cultured human bladder cancer cells. Methods The effects of frankincense (1,400–600 dilutions) (v/v) and sandalwood (16,000–7,000 dilutions) (v/v) essential oils on cell viability were studied in established human bladder cancer J82 cells and immortalized normal human bladder urothelial UROtsa cells using a colorimetric XTT cell viability assay. Genes that responded to essential oil treatments in human bladder cancer J82 cells were identified using the Illumina Expression BeadChip platform and analyzed for enriched functions and pathways. The chemical compositions of the essential oils were determined by gas chromatography–mass spectrometry. Results Human bladder cancer J82 cells were more sensitive to the pro-apoptotic effects of frankincense essential oil than the immortalized normal bladder UROtsa cells. In contrast, sandalwood essential oil exhibited a similar potency in suppressing the viability of both J82 and UROtsa cells. Although frankincense and sandalwood essential oils activated common pathways such as inflammatory interleukins (IL-6 signaling), each essential oil had a unique molecular action on the bladder cancer cells. Heat shock proteins and histone core proteins were activated by frankincense essential oil, whereas negative regulation of protein kinase activity and G protein-coupled receptors were activated by sandalwood essential oil treatment. Conclusion The effects of frankincense and sandalwood essential oils on J82 cells and UROtsa cells involved different mechanisms leading to cancer cell death. While frankincense essential oil elicited selective cancer cell death via NRF-2-mediated oxidative stress, sandalwood essential oil induced non-selective cell death via DNA damage and cell cycle arrest.
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Frankincense essential oil prepared from hydrodistillation of Boswellia sacra gum resins induces human pancreatic cancer cell death in cultures and in a xenograft murine model
Article
Full-text available
  • Dec 2012
  • BMC Compl Alternative Med
Background Regardless of the availability of therapeutic options, the overall 5-year survival for patients diagnosed with pancreatic cancer remains less than 5%. Gum resins from Boswellia species, also known as frankincense, have been used as a major ingredient in Ayurvedic and Chinese medicine to treat a variety of health-related conditions. Both frankincense chemical extracts and essential oil prepared from Boswellia species gum resins exhibit anti-neoplastic activity, and have been investigated as potential anti-cancer agents. The goals of this study are to identify optimal condition for preparing frankincense essential oil that possesses potent anti-tumor activity, and to evaluate the activity in both cultured human pancreatic cancer cells and a xenograft mouse cancer model. Methods Boswellia sacra gum resins were hydrodistilled at 78°C; and essential oil distillate fractions were collected at different durations (Fraction I at 0–2 h, Fraction II at 8–10 h, and Fraction III at 11–12 h). Hydrodistillation of the second half of gum resins was performed at 100°C; and distillate was collected at 11–12 h (Fraction IV). Chemical compositions were identified by gas chromatography–mass spectrometry (GC-MS); and total boswellic acids contents were quantified by high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC). Frankincense essential oil-modulated pancreatic tumor cell viability and cytotoxicity were determined by colorimetric assays. Levels of apoptotic markers, signaling molecules, and cell cycle regulators expression were characterized by Western blot analysis. A heterotopic (subcutaneous) human pancreatic cancer xenograft nude mouse model was used to evaluate anti-tumor capability of Fraction IV frankincense essential oil in vivo. Frankincense essential oil-induced tumor cytostatic and cytotoxic activities in animals were assessed by immunohistochemistry. Results Longer duration and higher temperature hydrodistillation produced more abundant high molecular weight compounds, including boswellic acids, in frankincense essential oil fraactions. Human pancreatic cancer cells were sensitive to Fractions III and IV (containing higher molecular weight compounds) treatment with suppressed cell viability and increased cell death. Essential oil activated the caspase-dependent apoptotic pathway, induced a rapid and transient activation of Akt and Erk1/2, and suppressed levels of cyclin D1 cdk4 expression in cultured pancreatic cancer cells. In addition, Boswellia sacra essential oil Fraction IV exhibited anti-proliferative and pro-apoptotic activities against pancreatic tumors in the heterotopic xenograft mouse model. Conclusion All fractions of frankincense essential oil from Boswellia sacra are capable of suppressing viability and inducing apoptosis of a panel of human pancreatic cancer cell lines. Potency of essential oil-suppressed tumor cell viability may be associated with the greater abundance of high molecular weight compounds in Fractions III and IV. Although chemical component(s) responsible for tumor cell cytotoxicity remains undefined, crude essential oil prepared from hydrodistillation of Boswellia sacra gum resins might be a useful alternative therapeutic agent for treating patients with pancreatic adenocarcinoma, an aggressive cancer with poor prognosis.
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Fumigant activity of volatiles of Streptomyces globisporus JK-1 against Penicillium italicum on Citrus microcarpa
Article
Full-text available
  • Nov 2010
  • POSTHARVEST BIOL TEC
Antifungal activity against Penicillium italicum of volatile substances from Streptomyces globisporus JK-1 grown on autoclaved wheat seed was studied in vitro and in planta. Fungal spore germination and mycelial growth of P. italicum cultures as well as sporulation and disease incidence on fungal-inoculated fruit were suppressed in the presence of the volatiles. For naturally infected fruit, disease incidence was reduced from 25% to 7.5%. Suppression of the infection process of P. italicum on Shatang Mandarin fruit (Citrus microcarpa) was observed via scanning electronic microscopy, showing inhibited spore germination on the Shatang Mandarin, and abnormal morphology for conidiophores and hyphae exposed to the volatiles. Based on gas chromatography/mass spectrophotometric analyses, 41 volatile organic compounds were identified from the volatiles of S. globisporus JK-1, and the most abundant compound was trans-1,10-dimethyl-trans-9-decalol (geosmin), an earthy smelling substance. Among these, technical grade formulations of eight were chosen for further study: phenylethyl alcohol, caryophyllene, dimethyl disulfide, dimethyl trisulfide, acetophenone, d-limonene, isoledene, and aromadendrene. d-Limonene, isoledene and aromadendrene showed no observable antifungal activity in vitro and in planta at tested concentrations. Both phenylethyl alcohol and caryophyllene showed weak inhibitory activity in vitro but no significant efficacy against P. italicum on Shatang Mandarin. Dimethyl disulfide or dimethyl trisulfide showed antifungal activity in vitro and efficacious control on Shatang Mandarin at a concentration of 100 μL L−1 of airspace in treatment containers. Acetophenone showed antifungal activity in vitro at a concentration of 100 μL L−1and efficacious control on Shatang Mandarin at the highest concentration of 1000 μL L−1. Volatiles from S. globisporus JK-1 have potential for control of blue mold of citrus species through fumigant action.
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Effect of alpha-pinene on nuclear translocation of NF-kappa B in THP-1 cells
Article
  • Apr 2004
AIM: To study the effects of alpha-pinene on nuclear translocation of nuclear factor-kappaB (NF-kappaB) and the expression of the inhibitor of NF-kappaB (IkappaBalpha) in human monocyte THP-1 cell line. METHODS: THP-1 cells were incubated with a-pinene (1, 10, and 100 mg/L, for 30 min) before being stimulated with lipopolysaccharide (LPS, 1 mg/L, 30 min). The location of NF-kappaB p65 subunit (NF-kappaB/p65) in THP-1 cells was detected by immunofluorescence and laser scanning confocal microscope (LSCM). The expression of NF-kappaB/p65 in nuclei and that of IkappaBalpha. in cytoplasm were measured by Western-blot analysis. RESULTS: The majority of FITC-labelled NF-kappaB/p65 was located in the nuclei being stimulated with LPS. Whereas, no such fluorescence was seen in the nuclei of the groups pretreated with a-pinene or control cells. alpha-Pinene pretreatment decreased the NF-kappaB/p65 nuclear translocation in LPS-stimulated THP-1 cells, and this effect was dose-dependent, but there was no reaction in LPS-unstimulated THP-1 cells. alpha-Pinene pretreatment increased IkappaBalpha protein level in cytoplasm, compared with that in LPS-stimulated THP-1 cells. CONCLUSION: In a dose-related fashion, (x-pinene inhibits the nuclear translocation of NF-kappaB induced by LPS in THP-1 cells, and this effect is partly due to the upregulation of IkappaBalpha expression.
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A Comparison of Normalization Methods for High Density Oligonucleotide Array Data Based on Variance and Bias
Article
  • Jan 2003
Motivation: When running experiments that involve multiple high density oligonucleotide arrays, it is important to remove sources of variation between arrays of non-biological origin. Normalization is a process for reducing this variation. It is common to see non-linear relations between arrays and the standard normalization provided by Affymetrix does not perform well in these situations. Results: We present three methods of performing normalization at the probe intensity level. These methods are called complete data methods because they make use of data from all arrays in an experiment to form the normalizing relation. These algorithms are compared to two methods that make use of a baseline array: a one number scaling based algorithm and a method that uses a non-linear normalizing relation by comparing the variability and bias of an expression measure. Two publicly available datasets are used to carry out the comparisons. The simplest and quickest complete data method is found to perform favorably. Availability: Software implementing all three of the complete data normalization methods is available as part of the R package Affy, which is a part of the Bioconductor project http://www.bioconductor.org. Supplementary information: Additional figures may be found at http://www.stat.berkeley.edu/~bolstad/normalize/index.html
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A selective inhibitor reveals PI3Kγ dependence of T H17 cell differentiation
Article
  • Apr 2012
  • NAT CHEM BIOL
We devised a high-throughput chemoproteomics method that enabled multiplexed screening of 16,000 compounds against native protein and lipid kinases in cell extracts. Optimization of one chemical series resulted in CZC24832, which is to our knowledge the first selective inhibitor of phosphoinositide 3-kinase γ (PI3Kγ) with efficacy in in vitro and in vivo models of inflammation. Extensive target- and cell-based profiling of CZC24832 revealed regulation of interleukin-17-producing T helper cell (T(H)17) differentiation by PI3Kγ, thus reinforcing selective inhibition of PI3Kγ as a potential treatment for inflammatory and autoimmune diseases.
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