Frankincense

==Chemical composition==
[[File:Beta-boswellic acid.svg|thumb|Structure of [[boswellic acid|β-boswellic acid]], one of the main active components of frankincense]]

These are some of the chemical compounds present in frankincense:
* acid resin (6%), soluble in alcohol and having the formula '''C'''<sub>20</sub>'''H'''<sub>32</sub>'''O'''<sub>4</sub><ref name="henriettas">{{cite web|url=http://www.henriettes-herb.com/eclectic/kings/boswellia.html|title=Olibanum.—Frankincense. | work=Henriette's Herbal Homepage|publisher=www.henriettes-herb.com|access-date=2009-01-14}}</ref>
* gum (similar to [[gum arabic]]) 30–36%<ref name="henriettas"/>
* 3-acetyl-beta-[[boswellic acid]] (''Boswellia sacra'')<ref name="drdukesdata">{{cite web|url=http://sun.ars-grin.gov:8080/npgspub/xsql/duke/plantdisp.xsql?taxon=168|title=Farmacy Query|publisher=www.ars-grin.gov|access-date=2009-01-14|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20041110092934/http://sun.ars-grin.gov:8080/npgspub/xsql/duke/plantdisp.xsql?taxon=168|archive-date=2004-11-10}}</ref>
* alpha-boswellic acid (''Boswellia sacra'')<ref name="drdukesdata"/>
* [[incensole]] [[acetate]], C<sub>21</sub>H<sub>34</sub>O<sub>3</sub><ref name=NIST>{{cite web | url = http://webbook.nist.gov/cgi/inchi?ID=C34701536&Mask=2000 | title = Incensole acetate | work = NIST }}</ref>
* [[phellandrene]]<ref name="henriettas"/>
* [[olibanic acid]]<ref name="Cerutti-Delasalle_2016">{{cite journal | vauthors = Cerutti-Delasalle C, Mehiri M, Cagliero C, Rubiolo P, Bicchi C, Meierhenrich UJ, Baldovini N | title = The (+)-cis- and (+)-trans-Olibanic Acids: Key Odorants of Frankincense | journal = Angewandte Chemie International Edition in English | volume = 55 | issue = 44 | pages = 13719–13723 | date = October 2016 | pmid = 27699963 | doi = 10.1002/anie.201605242 | hdl = 2318/1609095 | hdl-access = free }}</ref>

Among various plants in the genus ''Boswellia'', only ''Boswellia sacra'', ''Boswellia serrata'' and ''Boswellia papyrifera'' have been confirmed to contain significant amounts of boswellic acids.{{r|"Michael2012"|page=10}}<ref name="Michael2012">{{Cite thesis|title=Chemotaxonomic investigations on resins of the frankincense species Boswellia papyrifera, Boswellia serrata and Boswellia sacra, respectively, Boswellia carterii : a qualitative and quantitative approach by chromatographic and spectroscopic methodology| vauthors = Michael P |date=2012-11-09|publisher=Saarland University|url=https://publikationen.sulb.uni-saarland.de/handle/20.500.11880/22895|doi=10.22028/D291-22839|language=en}}</ref><ref name="Simla2005">{{Cite thesis|title=Phytochemical Investigations on Boswellia Species| vauthors = Simla B |date=2005-03-18|publisher=Universität Hamburg|url=https://ediss.sub.uni-hamburg.de/handle/ediss/984|language=en|id={{URN|nbn|de:gbv:18-25030}}}}</ref>