Hello, Today I will be talking about Boswellia Serrata. It is an exotic member of the Frankincense family. It is commonly found in the Indo-Pakistani region of the world. Continuing on Wikipedia, it is referred as Shallaki in Sanskrit, and Olibanum Indicum in Latin.
It says here that Boswellia Serrata in Ayurvedic medicine is used to treat Artheritis. It has positive effects for inflammatory sicknesses such as rheumatoid & Osteo arthritis, bronchial asthma, ulcers, and Crohn’s disease. The two main properties are a potent analgesic effect and anti-inflammatory effects for reducing pain & inflammation of the joints.
The resinous gum of Boswellia Serrata looks really peculiar. Like gold nuggets piled upon each other I wonder how wonderful it is to smell when used as bakhoor. On etsy there is a store called ‘ApothecarysGarden’ that sells wildcraft, handmade goods for perfumers and incense lovers. He also happens to sell the exotic Indian Frankincense Boswellia Serrata. The price is $4.50 for one ounce. It is the amount of money you would pay for a cup of coffee.
The seller reports that Boswellia Serrata causes apoptosis in cancer cells, and is for treating diseases of the mouth, piles, diarrhea, jaundice, and similar liver problems. I see. It read here that ‘The tree secretes a resinous gum that throws a beautiful warm amber-like spicy fragrance when burned’ . So it’s a good ingredient for perfumers or for those who enjoy bakhoor incense.
If you are curious, you find more information about frankincense & Boswellia serrata in my in-depth article.