Description
Incensol acetate is a natural constituent found in frankincense resin and is a potent bioactive diterpenic cembrenoid. Frankincense extract has traditionally been used to treat various inflammatory diseases including arthritis. Several of the individual components in frankincense, including incensol acetate, have shown anti-inflammatory activity in mice. Incensol acetate was found to activate transient receptor potential vanilloid 3, a protein that is involved in temperature sensation in the skin, hair growth, and neurological activities. Incensol acetate has also been found to inhibit activation of Burkitt’s lymphoma derived Raji cells, and in addition, has shown an antidepressant-like effect in the forced swim test in mice, and possibly modulates the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis.