Olibanum

OLIBANUM, frankincense, Gummi-resina Olibanum, dried sap of certain species of plants of the Burseraceae family (Boswellia Carteri, Boswellia Bhau-Dajiana, etc.). Two varieties are distinguished: select frankincense, Olibanum electum, and common frankincense, Olibanum in sortis, contaminated with earth and other impurities. It consists of round or elongated pieces resembling drops, light yellow or pinkish, with a waxy luster, opaque, usually covered with dust from rubbing against each other; they have a pleasant balsamic odor and a bitter, spicy taste; when rubbed, they easily turn into a white powder. It dissolves only partially in alcohol and other solvents, forming an emulsion with water when rubbed. When heated, it softens without melting and emits a strong pleasant odor (incense), and with further heating, it ignites and burns with a strongly smoking flame. It consists of 72% alcohol-soluble parts, mainly boswellic acid (up to 33%), its ester (up to 1.5%), olibanoresin (up to 33%), essential oil (5-9%), and bitter substances (0.5%); the water-soluble part consists of gum (20%), bassorin (6-8%), and other substances; ash content in frankincense is up to 3%. The essential oil contains pinene, camphene, dipentene, cymene, borneol and its esters; there are indications of the terpene alcohol olibanol. Frankincense formerly was included in some plasters and ointments, tooth pastes and elixirs, smoking candles, papers, etc., at present it is mainly used in religious ceremonies for fumigation, and has no therapeutic value.