Frankincense could be an answer to treating painful joints
June 22nd, 2011 - 4:58 pm ICT by IANSLondon, June 22 (IANS) The answer to treating painful arthritis could lie in an age old herbal remedy - frankincense.
Cardiff University scientists have been examining the potential benefits of frankincense in helping relieve and alleviate symptoms of the condition.
“The search for new ways of relieving the symptoms of inflammatory arthritis and osteoarthritis is a long and difficult one,” said Emma Blain, who led the research with co-investigators Vic Duance from Cardiff University’s School of Biosciences and Ahmed Ali of the Compton Group.
“What our research has focused on is whether and how these extracts can help relieve the inflammation that causes the pain,” Blain said, according to a Cardiff statement.
Cardiff scientists believe they have been able to demonstrate that treatment with an extract of Boswellia frereana - a rare frankincense species - inhibits the production of key inflammatory molecules, which help prevent the breakdown of the cartilage tissue which causes the condition.
Ali added: “What our research has managed to achieve is to use innovative chemical extraction techniques to determine the active ingredient in frankincense.
“Having done this we are now able to further characterise the chemical entity and compare its success against other anti-inflammatory drugs used for treating the condition,” he said.
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Tags: active ingredient, ahmed ali, anti inflammatory drugs, blain, boswellia, cardiff university, cartilage tissue, chemical entity, chemical extraction, co investigators, compton group, extraction techniques, herbal remedy, inflammation, inflammatory arthritis, new ways, osteoarthritis, painful arthritis, painful joints, university scientists