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. 2011 Apr;18(2):189-94.
doi: 10.1016/j.sjbs.2010.10.005. Epub 2010 Oct 20.

Identifying frankincense impact by biochemical analysis and histological examination on rats

Jehad M Yousef  1
Affiliations

Identifying frankincense impact by biochemical analysis and histological examination on rats

Jehad M Yousef. Saudi J Biol Sci. 2011 Apr.

Abstract

Frankincense (Gum Olibanum), made from resins of Burseraceae family, grows in Somalia, India and Yemen. Many years ago the oldest doctors used this plant for treatment of many diseases. This study identifies frankincense impact by biochemical analysis and histological examination on rats. In this study, forty male Wister Albino rats weighing 70-100 g were maintained in clean cages. The rats were divided into 2 groups, each group contained 20 rats. Frankincense extract was prepared by heating distilled water (400 ml) to 80 °C and soaking 20 g of herbs for about 60 min. After cooking at room temperature the dose was given orally through special drinking bottles daily. The first group acted as control drinking water. The second group served as treated group and was given frankincense in the drinking water during the whole duration of the experiment. After 15 and 30 days of treatment, the rats were anesthetized with ether, and blood was collected from the livers and kidneys; some biochemical analyses were performed including aspartate aminotransferase (AST), alanine aminotransferase (ALT), alkaline phosphatase (ALP) and non-bilirubin, urea, uric acid, and creatinine. Rats were killed by cervical decapitation of livers and kidneys. Each group was divided into 2 parts. The first part was used for the determination of glutathione (GSH), glucose 6 phosphate dehydrogenase (G6PDH), xanthine oxidase (XO), malonyldealdehyde (MDA), nitric oxide (NO), and xanthine oxidase (XO). The second part of livers and kidneys was kept in formalin solution (10%) and stained by Hematoxylin and Eosin (H & E), to be used for histological examination. I demonstrated in the biochemical analysis in the serum, tissue and histological examination, different impact between group (B) and group (A), and that frankincense is not absolutely safe and that precautions must be taken during it's us as a traditional medicine and that increase the awareness with safety and health hazards of many other traditional medicine is critically needed.

Keywords: AST; Boswella Serrata; Frankincense; GSH; Histology; MDA.

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Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Impact of frankincense on biochemical analysis of liver function in serum of rats.
Figure 2
Figure 2
Impact of frankincense on biochemical analysis of liver function in serum of rats.
Figure 3
Figure 3
Impact of frankincense on biochemical analysis of liver function in serum of rats.
Figure 4
Figure 4
Impact of frankincense on biochemical analysis in liver tissue of rats.
Figure 5
Figure 5
Impact of frankincense on biochemical analysis in liver tissue of rats.
Figure 6
Figure 6
Impact of frankincense on biochemical analysis in liver tissue of rats.
Figure 7
Figure 7
Impact of frankincense on biochemical analysis of kidney function in serum of rats.
Figure 8
Figure 8
Impact of frankincense on biochemical analysis of kidney function in serum of rats.
Figure 9
Figure 9
Impact of frankincense on biochemical analysis of kidney function in serum of rats.
Figure 10
Figure 10
Impact of frankincense on biochemical analysis in kidney tissue of rats.
Figure 11
Figure 11
Impact of frankincense on biochemical analysis in kidney tissue of rats.
Figure 12
Figure 12
Impact of frankincense on biochemical analysis in kidney tissue of rats.
Figure 13
Figure 13
Light micrograph of liver tissue of control group (A) showing hepatic cells around the central vein, nucleus and blood sinusoid. Haematoxylin-eosin stain. 400×.
Figure 14
Figure 14
Light micrograph of liver tissue of control group (A) showing many hepatocytes were binucleated accompanied by granular degeneration and fatty changes activation of Kupffer cells. Haematoxylin-eosin stain. 400×.
Figure 15
Figure 15
Light micrograph of liver tissue frankincense group (B) showing increase in the number of kupffer cells and necrosis of the nucleus. Haematoxylin-eosin stain. 400×.
Figure 16
Figure 16
Light micrograph of liver tissue frankincense group (B) showing increase in the number and size of nucleus, also found binucleated hepatic cells and necrosis of the nucleus. Haematoxylin-eosin stain. 400×.
Figure 17
Figure 17
Light micrograph of kidney tissue of control group (A) showing widening of tubular lumen, extruded nuclei, shortening, and damage of brush border in proximal tubules. Haematoxylin-eosin stain. 400×.
Figure 18
Figure 18
Light micrograph of kidney tissue of control group (A) degenerative; necrotic changes in kidney tubules and glomerulus. Nuclear pleomorphism in kidney tubules. Haematoxylin-eosin stain. 400×.
Figure 19
Figure 19
Light micrograph of kidney tissue of frankincense group (B) showing nearly normal distal convoluted tubule with diluted lumen low and nuclei in some proximal epithelial cells. Haematoxylin-eosin stain. 400×.
Figure 20
Figure 20
Light micrograph of kidney tissue of frankincense group (B) showing extruded nuclei, shortening, damage of brush border in proximal tubules, and hyalinization of glomerulus. Haematoxylin-eosin stain. 400×.
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Further reading

    1. Zhu N., Kikuzaki H., Sheng S., Sang S., Rafi M.M., Wang M., Nakatani N., Dipaola R.S., Rosan R.T., No C.T. Furanosesquiteroenoids of commiphora myrrha. J. Nat. Prod. 2001;64(11):1460–1462. - PubMed

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