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Olibanum is another name for frankincense, an aromatic resin obtained from trees of the genus Boswellia. Several species of Boswellia produce frankincense.

Botanical source

Boswellia sacra, also known as Boswellia carteri, is commonly called the frankincense tree or the olibanum tree. The tree is native to Oman and Yemen in the south of the Arabian Peninsula, and to Somalia and Ethiopia in the Horn of Africa. The trees start producing resin when they are about 8 to 10 years old. The resin is extracted by making a small, shallow incision on the trunk or branches of the tree or by removing a portion of the crust. The resin drains as a milky substance that coagulates in contact with air and is collected by hand. Today 90 percent of the world's production of frankincense comes from the Horn of Africa.

Chemistry

Frankincense is reported to contain 60-85% resins, 6-30% gums and 5-9% essential oil. Boswellic acids are pentacyclic terpenoid molecules produced by plants of the genus Boswellia, and they appear in the resin. Alpha-boswellic acid and beta-boswellic acid both have the formula C₃₀H₄₈O₃. Of the Boswellia species, only B. sacra, B. serrata and B. papyrifera have been confirmed to contain significant amounts of boswellic acids. Incensole is a C₂₀ diterpene alcohol and, together with its acetate ester incensole acetate, an abundant component of frankincense. Oily in appearance, incensole has low volatility.

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Related: Elemi Oil · Frankincense · Frankincense Oil · Olibanum Frankincense · Olibanum Sacra Resin Green