Frankincense

Historical significance:

Frankincense is one of the oldest trade goods known to humanity. As early as 3,000 BCE, it was traded as a valuable commodity in Egypt, Mesopotamia, and the Arabian Gulf. Frankincense played a central role in religious ceremonies across various cultures. The Queen of Sheba gifted large quantities of frankincense to King Solomon, and in many cultures, it was considered the most precious good.

Special features:

Boswellia serrata is a tree in the frankincense family (Burseraceae). It grows in the dry mountainous regions of India and Northeast Africa. The tree reaches a height of 4–8 meters and has characteristic pinnate leaves. To harvest the resin, the bark is incised, causing a sticky substance to ooze out, which hardens into tears when exposed to air.

Contents and properties:

The extract contains various active compounds:

• Boswellic acids
• Terpene compounds
• Polysaccharides
• Essential oils
• Flavonoids
• Pentacyclic triterpenes

Interesting facts:

• Grows in extremely barren, dry regions
• Used to be weighed against gold in the past
• Traditionally transported along trade routes such as the Incense Route
• Tree can survive extreme drought
• Resin is obtained by carefully scoring the bark

Traditional uses:

Used for thousands of years in Ayurvedic medicine and traditional Indian healing practices. Folk healers valued frankincense as a traditional remedy in various cultural healing systems.