VERSATILE PHARMACOLOGICAL ACTION AND COMPOUND FORMULATION OF KUNDUR IN UNANI MEDICINE: A REVIEW

Oleo-gum resin of Boswellia serrata Roxb. is described in Unani medicine in the name of  Kundur. It is commonly known as luban which belongs to the family Burseraceae. Boswellia, or frankincense, harkens back to ancient India and Egypt. Frankincense was one of the four components in the medicinal “Balsam of Jerusalem” from the Franciscan Monastery and, as noted in the Papyrus Ebers, Circa 1500 BC, had applications in Egypt for mummification, cremation, and the treatment of skin wounds. The gum is popularly used in Unani Medicine for the last numerous centuries in curing various ailments, especially osteoarthritis, rheumatoid arthritis, wound healing, hemorrhoids, dysentery, dyspepsia, lung diseases, skin disease bronchitis, asthma, cough, cardiovascular diseases mouth sores, vaginal discharges, etc. Kundur is an ingredient in some Unani formulations viz: Majoon Kundur, Majoon Murawwah-ul-Arwah, Majuoon Masikul Baul, etc. for the treatment of amraze kulliya (renal disorders). Many clinical studies have done on anti-cancer activity, anti-asthmatic activity, anti-arthritic activity, crohn’s disease, cerebral edema, osteoarthrosis, and ulcerative colitis, etc. This review reveals that the relationship between the traditional uses proven by current researches and besides, other novelty is also tinted, which are not reported in traditional texts.