WHO monographs on selected medicinal plants - travolekar.ru

Gummi Boswellii
Plant material of interest: dried gum-resin
General appearance
The gum solidifies slowly with time. It is reddish brown, greenish yellow, or
dull yellow to orange in colour. It occurs in small, ovoid, fragrant tears. Sometimes
the tears form agglomerated masses up to 5 cm long and 2 cm thick.
Fracture is brittle, fractured surface is waxy and translucent. Burns readily
and emanates an agreeable characteristic balsamic resinous odour (1, 2).
Organoleptic properties
Odour: aromatic, characteristically balsamiferous; taste: agreeable (1, 2).
Microscopic characteristics
Debris of fibres, rectangular cork cells, very few yellowish oil globules
and numerous, small or large, oval to round or rhomboidal crystalline
fragments present (2).
Powdered plant material
Not applicable.
General identity tests
Macroscopic examinations (1, 2), microchemical and fluorescence tests
and thin-layer chromatography (1), high-performance liquid chromatography
(8, 9) and gas chromatography–mass spectrometry for the presence
of boswellic acids (10), as well as gas chromatography–mass spectrometry
analysis for volatile and semi-volatile terpenes (11).
Purity tests
Microbiological
Tests for specific microorganisms and microbial contamination limits are
as described in the <strong>WHO</strong> guidelines on assessing quality of herbal medicines
with reference to contaminants and residues (12).
Foreign organic matter
Not more than 5% (1).
Total ash
Not more than 10% (1).
Acid-insoluble ash
Not more than 8% (1).
Water-soluble extractive
Not less than 28% (1).
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