http://www.ladaneey.com/wp-content/uploads/echo_020611_news2-127851703.jpg
Somali scientist Dr Ahmed Ali - Research Director of the Compton Group.


An age old cure

The answer to treating painful arthritis could lie in an age old herbal remedy - frankincense, according to University research.

Scientists from the School of Biosciences have been examining the potential benefits of frankincense to help relieve and alleviate the symptoms of the condition.

"The search for new ways of relieving the symptoms of inflammatory arthritis and osteoarthritis is a long and difficult one," according to Dr Emma Blain, who leads the research with her co-investigators Professor Vic Duance from the School of Biosciences and Dr Ahmed Ali of the Compton Group.

"The South West of England and Wales has a long standing connection with the Somali community who have used extracts of frankincense as a traditional herbal remedy for arthritic conditions. What our research has focused on is whether and how these extracts can help relieve the inflammation that causes the pain," she added.

The Cardiff scientists believe they have been able to demonstrate that treatment with an extract of Boswellia frereana – a rare frankincense species – inhibits the production of key inflammatory molecules which helps prevent the breakdown of the cartilage tissue which causes the condition.

Dr Ali adds: "The search for new drugs to alleviate the symptoms of conditions like inflammatory arthritis and osteoarthritis is a priority area for scientists. What our research has managed to achieve is to use innovative chemical extraction techniques to determine the active ingredient in frankincense.

"Having done this we are now able to further characterise the chemical entity and compare its success against other anti-inflammatory drugs used for treating the condition."

The research comes as a result of a seedcorn project, funded by the Severnside Alliance for Translational Research (SARTRE), through the MRC Developmental Pathway Funding Scheme devolved portfolio.

SARTRE is a joint project between Cardiff University and the University of Bristol to combine and accelerate translational research.

http://www.cardiff.ac.uk/news/articles/an-age-old-cure-6841.html

West Learns Utility Of Frankincense From Somalis

Somalia might be one of the most unstable countries in the world. But its traditional medicine has something to teach us, it looks like. Welsh scientists say that they learnt from the Somalis that frankincense could be used to alleviate arthritic pain.

“The search for new ways of relieving the symptoms of inflammatory arthritis and osteoarthritis is a long and difficult one,” according to Dr Emma Blain, who leads the research with her co-investigators Professor Vic Duance from Cardiff University’s School of Biosciences and Dr Ahmed Ali of the Compton Group.

“The South West of England and Wales has a long standing connection with the Somali community who have used extracts of frankincense as a traditional herbal remedy for arthritic conditions.

“What our research has focused on is whether and how these extracts can help relieve the inflammation that causes the pain,” she added.

The Cardiff scientists believe they have been able to demonstrate that treatment with an extract of Boswellia frereana – a rare frankincense species – inhibits the production of key inflammatory molecules which helps prevent the breakdown of the cartilage tissue which causes the condition.

Dr Ali adds: “The search for new drugs to alleviate the symptoms of conditions like inflammatory arthritis and osteoarthritis is a priority area for scientists. What our research has managed to achieve is to use innovative chemical extraction techniques to determine the active ingredient in frankincense.

Read more: West Learns Utility Of Frankincense From Somalis (http://www.medindia.net/news/West-Learns-Utility-Of-Frankincense-From-Somalis-86757-1.htm#ixzz1Q6B4GAvg)

:applause: Somalis are great in the medical field.

^I'm pretty confident the more African Traditional Medicine is studied, the more such stories will be published. A Somali Herbarium of 2000 different plants has already been established and the very important heart treatment drug Ouabain (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ouabain) also derives from Somali herbalogy, which historically was used in combat to paralyse an opponent, or hunt prey.

Why does this look like the guy from Inception?

Great stuff. :applause: Natural medicine is really on the tip of the iceberg as far as research goes.

lol I got beat down for mentioning this in an old topic... something along the lines of traditional medicine being primitive or backward... but let the Europeans sanction it or put stamp of approval and it's all good.

I am pretty sure for every disease theirs a cure. If more research was put into how certain African societies dealt with certain diseases and illness, I am sure they would find interesting info.

lol I got beat down for mentioning this in an old topic... something along the lines of traditional medicine being primitive or backward... but let the Europeans sanction it or put stamp of approval and it's all good.

Well in Somalia its recognised by the Healthcare sector as a significant pillar in the entire system, so what outsiders consider it has never been important. I hope African Traditional Medicine eventually gets the same good reputation and credit as Chinese/Asian Traditional Medicine.