..the source of this precious gift by the Magi,
Boswellia papyrifera, is now under threat in it's native N.E african region..
USA today says 7% per year of the Ethiopian populations are dying - [
http://www.usatoday.com/tech/sc...ered-ethiopia/52130102/1] and the situation in southern Sudan is also grim - [
http://www.tropentag.de/2011/ab...links/Abtew_9WFVtIsn.pdf]
Quote:The [steam distilled volatile] oil was found to contain monoterpenes (13.1%), sesquiterpenes (1%), and diterpenes
(42.5%). The major components of the oil were duva-3,9,13-trien-1,5α-diol-1-acetate (21.4%), octyl acetate (13.4%), o-methyl anisole (7.6%), naphthalene decahydro-1,1,4a-trimethyl-6-methylene-5-(3-methyl-2-pentenyl) (5.7%), thunbergol (4.1%), phenanthrene-7-ethenyl-1,2,3,4,4a,5,6,7,8,9,10,10a-dodecahydro-1,1,4a,7-tetramethyl (4.1%), α-pinene (3.1%), sclarene (2.9%), 9-cis-retinal (2.8%), octyl formate (1.4%), verticiol (1.2%) decyl acetate
(1.2%), n-octanol (1.1%).
from
http://www.znaturforsch.com/ac/v58c/s58c0230.pdf..recent studies have found
alkaloids in the bark and gum, as well as in Myrrh (
Commiphora molmol), but the identities are not confirmed..[
Antibacterial activity of oleo-gum resins of Commiphora molmol and Boswellia papyrifera..]
..extracts of the frankincense tree were found in an Iranian study (2010) to enhance spatial learning and memory retention in mice..[
http://www.mums.ac.ir/shares/ba...cmedjou/89/spring/a2.pdf]
Boswellia papyrifera (frankincense) and
Commiphora molmol (myrrh) are both in the family Bruseraceae...
nen888 attached the following image(s):
frankincense-1.jpg
(241kb) downloaded 36 time(s). myrrh_1.jpg
(282kb) downloaded 36 time(s).