Effects of gum resin of Boswellia serrata in patients with chronic colitis

Patients studied here suffered from chronic colitis characterized by vague lower abdominal pain, bleeding per rectum with diarrhoea and palpable tende r descending and sigmoid colon. The inflammatory process in colitis is asso ciated with increased formation of leukotrienes causing chemotaxis, chemoki nesis, synthesis of superoxide radicals and release of lysosomal enzymes by phagocytes. The key enzyme for leukotriene biosynthesis is 5-lipoxygenase. Boswellic acids were found to be non-redox, non-competitive specific inhib itors of the enzyme 5-lipoxygenase. We studied the gum resin of Boswellia s errata for the treatment of this disease. Thirty patients, 17 males and 13 females in the age range of 18 to 48 years with chronic colitis were includ ed in this study. Twenty patients were given a preparation of the gum resin of Boswellia serrata (900 mg daily divided in three doses for 6 weeks) and ten patients were given sulfasalazine (3 gm daily divided in three doses f or 6 weeks) and served as controls. Out of 20 patients treated with Boswell ia gum resin 18 patients showed an improvement in one or more of the parame ters: including stool properties, histopathology as well as scanning electr on microscopy, besides haemoglobin, serum iron, calcium, phosphorus, protei ns, total leukocytes and eosinophils. In the control group 6 out of 10 pati ents showed similar results with the same parameters. Out of 20 patients tr eated with Boswellia gum resin 14 went into remission while in case of sulf asalazine remission rate was 4 out of 10. In conclusion, this study shows t hat a gum resin preparation from Boswellia serrata could be effective in th e treatment of chronic colitis with minimal side effects.