Frankincense essential oil

Both Myrhh and Frankincense are renowned as an anti inflammatories and essential ingredients in anti aging skincare creams.

The essential oil of frankincense known also as olibanum occupied the shelves of the 16th century pharmacies as “oleum thuris”.

The first investigation on its chemical composition was performed in 1788 by
Johann Ernst Baer at the University of Erlangen.  One difficulty in studies of composition (and in supplying the oil!) is to be sure where the resin which is hydrodistilled originated.  Differant resins of the Boswellia species give rise to differant results in the essential oil.

The oils of B. Carterii, B. Sacra and B. Frereana have a terpene content of some 90% so could be expected to have similar properties in use.  For more information on the uses of frankincense and other essential oils in use in skin cancer treatment see
 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mqlMUeVzKkI

1.  Today the frankincense oil of commerce is Boswellia Carterii (closely related to Boswellia Frereana) from Somaliland (both alpha-pinene 60%) and Boswellia Serrata from India (alpha-thujene 13%, methyl chavicol 13%).  An important frankincense oil is derived from Ethiopia (octyl acetate 60%).

2.  Shirley Price Aromatherapy supply Boswellia carterii and Boswellia Serrata oils and when available oil from Ethiopia.  Product quality is carefully monitored and over the years Shirley Price Frankincense oil has been consistently well regarded by professional aromatherapists and their clients. Sp work with distillers in the UK, France and Dubai.  Oils are available both as organic certified and non organic certified.

3.  Frankincense gum is obtained from Somaliland and India and ideally hydrodistilled in a 12 hour distillation to ensure the heavier molecules like incensole acetate (Molecular weight 334, research confirms anxiety reducing properties) come across.

4.  Composition of B. Sacra, Carterii, Frereana.  Monoterpenes (80%) dominate frankincense oils.  In a typical batch of somaliland hydrodistilled Boswellia carterii, you will find alpha pinene 57%, myrcene 1%, d-limonene 13%, alpha phellandrene 1.5.  The carterii composition is not too differant from Omani Boswellia Sacra.  

5.  Boswellia frereana you will find some differences in the monoterpenes.  α-thujene (8.1%), α-pinene (38%), p-cymene (11%), limonene (2.4%), sabinene (2.6%), trans-verbenol (4.2%) and bornylacetate (2.8%).  Ref Baser  

I questioned whether if B. Frereana is harvested in Somaliland why the B. Carterii is the oil of commerce?  Some 80% of the B. Frereana resin is apparently bought by the Saudis for the Haj pilgrims and B. Carterii yields the superior oil in that it can contain incensole acetate. Research confirms antianxiety effects of diterpenes like incensole acetate. These are not found in the Frereana.

6.  Composition of Boswellia serrata.  alpha-thujene 13%, alpha pinene 8%, myrcene 38% [2] and methyl chavicol (13%).

7.  We do not supply as yet a Frankincense Co2 extraction but we do have plans to list Co2 extracted frankincense and spice oils as these do justify a premium price in terms of a more complete aroma. Once demand from our alumni and customers reaches a level that is commercially viable for Sp to apply our quality control processes we will add these items to our catalog.

8.  This is a useful paper on composition of B. papyrifera from Ethiopia.  In particular B. papyrifera is distinguished by some 60% of the ester octyl acetate, 15% octanol. 

9.  For medical purposes enriched Boswellic acid extracts are used but these are not to be found in the hydrodistilled essential oil. They have a molecular weight of over 400 and are not volatile.  The relatively heavy component caryophyllene oxide in the analysis below has a molecular weight of 220.  Frankincense essential oils cannot therefore be a source of Boswellic acid.

10.  Traditional use has involved burning of the resin.  Considerable research exists into the anxiety relieving properties of Frankincense essential oil.

Botany

Boswellia serrata (Salai/Salai guggul) (Family: Burseraceae; Genus: Boswellia) is a moderate to large sized branching tree that grows in dry mountainous regions of India, Northern Africa and the Middle East. The family of Burseraceae is represented in the plant kingdom with 17 genera and 600 species wide-spread in all tropical regions. There are about 25 known species belonging to Genus Boswellia, most of them occur in Arabia, northeastern coast of Africa and India. Since ancient times, three of these species have been considered as ‘true Frankincense’ producing trees.

Boswellia sacra Flueck, the first species, grows in South Arabia and is known amongst Arabians as ‘maghrayt d’ sheehaz’ and the resin produced is known as ‘luban dhakar’. Boswellia carterii Birdw, grows in Somalia and in the native language it is called ‘moxor’ and the resin produced is known as ‘luban dhakar’. Boswellia frereana Birdw., is also a Somalian species and in the native language it is called ‘jagcaar’ and the resin produced is known as ‘loban majdi’ or ‘maydi’. This is the most expensive brand of resin in the market. Another resin producing species is Boswellia serrata Roxb., known as ‘Indian olibanum’, ‘Indian frankincense’, ‘dhup’ and ‘salai’ or ‘salai guggul’ is found in the middle and northern parts of Eastern India.[1]




Burning frankincense resin with charcoal

References/Further reading

[1]   http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3309643/

note there is also to be found Ethiopian Frankincense which has a distinctive chemistry.

[2]  Basardissertation

[3] Aromaweb Frankincense profile

[4] Ron Guba on Essential Oils and skin cancer

[5] http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/15922374

[6] http://jocpr.com/vol4-iss2-2012/JCPR-2012-4-2-1074-1089.pdf

[7] frereana

Omani Frankincense

Boswellia Sacra from Oman provides an oil similar in composition.

An essential oil is hydrodistilled from Frankincense resin. The article below appends at the bottom of the page a GC analysis of the hydrodistilled oil and notes a 12 hour distillation

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3258268/

you will find alpha pinene 59.4%, myrcene 5.36%, limonene 8.99% , alpha phellandrene 1.3% with retention index upto 1593

the resin used is Omani Hougari grade resins

Frankincense was the basis of the economy of Oman's Dhofar province for over 2,000 years, peaking in the first and second century AD the port of Sumhuram was built. In Oman there are the remains of a once mighty frankincense trade which the Young Living company is making commendable efforts to support by establishing a hydrodistillation plant  at the omani town of Salalah. Collection of frankincense resin is a fraction of what it was in 1946 when 2800 tonnes of gums and resin of all sorts were exported by the merchants of Aden.  The frankincense trees are still there in the plateau above the town of Salalah with collection said to be in tribal hands. Pilot guide

 Frankincense collection - which begins in winter, peaks in spring and ends with the summer monsoons - starts with shaving strips of bark from the trunk. The collectors use an instrument like a putty knife called a mingaf. From these wounds the frankincense resin, or luban, oozes out and hardens into crystals, which are scraped off the tree and collected in two-handled baskets of woven palm leaves. Even better frankincense - light and clean in color - can be obtained by simply waiting and collecting it from the ground after it has fallen from the tree and dried naturally.

Read more about frankincense resin from Oman.

Reference
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3258268/

Below is a Chemical composition of hydrodistilled boswellia sacra oil.

Table S1. Chemical composition of Boswellia sacra essential oil

	Boswellia sacra	Hydrodistillation temperature
Ret. Index	Component		100 oC
755	toluene		0.06
922	unidentified*		0.80
929	alpha-thujene		0.93
940	alpha-pinene		59.40
953	camphene + verbenene		3.46
973	sabinene		3.63
979	beta-pinene		2.38
987	myrcene		5.36
994	ortho-methyl anisole		0.35
1004	alpha-phellandrene		1.30
1011	delta-3-carene		0.09
1018	para-cymene		1.23
1031	limonene		8.99
1039	cis-beta-ocimene		0.33
1055	gamma-terpinene		0.44
1079	para-cymenene		0.08
1085	alpha-Terpinolene		0.29
1101	myrcenol		0.11
1112	alpha-campholene aldehyde		0.70
1134	trans-pinocarveol		0.77
1138	cis-verbenol		0.46
1146	unidentified**		0.41
1149	pinocamphone		0.11
1153	alpha-phellandren-8-ol		0.80
1160	borneol		0.06
1166	para-cymene-8-ol		0.13
1171	terpinene-4-ol		0.50
1180	alpha-terpineol + myrtenal		0.40
1187	myrtenol		0.13
1191	verbenone		0.42
1203	cis-carveol		0.10
1243	dimethyl ether orcinol		0.10
1278	bornyl acetate		0.47
1339	alpha-terpenyl acetate		0.15
1391	alpha-copaene		0.13
1400	beta-elemene		0.94
1437	trans-beta-caryophyllene		0.62
1470	alpha-humulene		0.17
1477	allo-aromadendrene		0.06
1485	gamma-muurolene		0.10
1494	germacrene D		0.09
1501	beta-selinene		0.45
1509	alpha-selinene		0.24
1523	gamma-cadinene		0.07
1527	delta-cadinene		0.14
1593	caryophyllene oxide		0.05
	Total		98.78