The evidence for the effectiveness of B serrata extracts is encouraging but not compelling
OBJECTIVE To assess evidence from r and omised clinical trials about the effectiveness of  extracts of Boswellia serrata ( frankincense ) .
Effects of Boswellia serrata gum resin in patients with bronchial asthma: results of a double-blind, placebo-controlled, 6-week clinical study.
The gum resin of Boswellia serrata , known in Indian Ayurvedic system of medicine as Salai guggal , contains boswellic acids , which have been shown to inhibit leukotriene bio synthesis . In a double-blind , placebo-controlled study forty patients , 23 males and 17 females in the age range of 18 - 75 years having mean duration of illness , bronchial asthma , of 9.58 + /- 6.07 years were treated with a preparation of gum resin of 300 mg thrice daily for a period of 6 weeks . 70 % of patients showed improvement of disease as evident by disappearance of physical symptoms and signs such as dyspnoea , rhonchi , number of attacks , increase in FEV subset1 , FVC and PEFR as well as decrease in eosinophilic count and ESR . In the control group of 40 patients 16 males and 24 females in the age range of 14 - 58 years with mean of 32.95 + /- 12.68 were treated with lactose 300 mg thrice daily for 6 weeks . Only 27 % of patients in the control group showed improvement . The data show a definite role of gum resin of Boswellia serrata in the treatment of bronchial asthma
The evidence for the effectiveness of B serrata extracts is encouraging but not compelling
OBJECTIVE To assess evidence from r and omised clinical trials about the effectiveness of  extracts of Boswellia serrata ( frankincense ) .