Potential Anti-Cancer Properties of Frankincese (Boswellia Sarca) Chewing Gum and its Role in Reduction of Tobacco Smoking Genotoxicity.
Jinan Tuma Sabah1*
and Firas Rahi Alhachami21Pathological analysis department, Faculty of sciences, Wasit university, Wasit, Iraq.
2Radiology department, college of health and medical technology, Al-Ayen university, Dhi-Qar, Iraq.
Corresponding Author E-mail: jtuma@uowasit.edu.iq
Abstract: Arabic frankincense is distinguished by its many medical and therapeutic benefits, as it treats many backward diseases that affect the human body. Smoking causes a long list of cancers, on top of which are lung cancer. Smoking cessation can prevent a third of cancer-related deaths. The study aimed to reveal the role of frankincense in reducing the genotoxicity of smoking on the buccal mucosa using buccal micronucleus cytome (BMCyt) assay. For this purpose, 50 smokers and 30 non-smokers participated; all of them were students of Wasit University. The study showed that smoking causes a significant increase in the level of nuclear abnormalities. Apoptosis showed the biggest change, with an about twenty-fold increase, followed by cytotoxicity (about four folds increase), and mutagenicity (about three-folds) as compared with control. A significant decrease in mutagenicity and cytotoxicity was observed (P= 0.038 and 0.051, respectively) after 4 weeks of chewing frankincense gum by smokers while increase was observed with apoptosis (P= 0.071). We conclude from this study results that chewing gum exhibited pro-apoptotic and anti-proliferative activities against cancer-damaged cells.
Keywords: Apoptosis; Buccal Micronucleus Cytome (BMCyt) assay; Carcinogenesis; Frankincense; Genotoxicity; Micronuclous; Smoking Back to TOC