Boswelia Serrata Extract
Boswellia serrata extract is a resin concentrate prepared from the gum oleoresin exuded by the bark of Boswellia serrata, a deciduous tree of the Burseraceae family growing in the dry hill forests of central and western India. The resin is tapped from incisions in the trunk, hardens on contact with air, and is collected as pale yellow to amber tears known in the Indian trade as salai guggul.
The functional constituents are pentacyclic triterpene acids of the boswellic acid series, chiefly beta boswellic acid, keto beta boswellic acid and acetyl 11 keto beta boswellic acid, the last of these usually abbreviated to AKBA and quoted as the most valued marker because it is the least abundant and the most difficult to concentrate. The resin also contains a gum polysaccharide fraction and a volatile oil rich in alpha thujene and para cymene, both of which are removed or reduced during extraction.
The extract is an off white to pale yellow or light brown powder with a faint balsamic odour and a slightly bitter taste. Boswellic acids are lipophilic acids, essentially insoluble in water and soluble in ethanol, oils and dilute alkali, so the powder is dosed into capsules or oil phases, or sold as a phospholipid complex or a cyclodextrin inclusion where an aqueous product is required.
We source bulk Boswelia Serrata Extract from top China manufacturers for our partners. The manufacturer is in Shaanxi. A smaller requirement can ship in a combined container with other ingredients.
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- Function
- Plant extract
Specifications
| Item | Specification |
|---|---|
| Appearance | Off white to light brown fine powder |
| Botanical Source | Boswellia serrata gum oleoresin |
| Odour and Taste | Faint balsamic odour, slightly bitter |
| Identification | HPLC profile conforming to boswellic acid reference standards |
| Total Boswellic Acids | ≥ 65.0% (HPLC) |
| Acetyl 11 Keto Beta Boswellic Acid | ≥ 10.0% (HPLC) |
| Beta Boswellic Acid | ≤ 5.0% |
| Particle Size | ≥ 95% through 80 mesh |
| Loss on Drying | ≤ 5.0% |
| Total Ash | ≤ 3.0% |
| Residual Ethanol | ≤ 0.5% |
| Residual Ethyl Acetate | ≤ 0.5% |
| Lead | ≤ 2.0 mg/kg |
| Arsenic | ≤ 1.0 mg/kg |
| Total Plate Count | ≤ 5,000 cfu/g |
| Yeast and Mould | ≤ 100 cfu/g |
| Escherichia coli | Negative in 1 g |
| Salmonella | Negative in 25 g |
Common Markets Grades
Two assay conventions coexist and are not comparable. Total boswellic acids by titration or by ultraviolet method are quoted at 65, 70, 75, 85 and 90 percent, while acetyl 11 keto beta boswellic acid by HPLC is quoted at 5, 10, 20 and 30 percent. A specification that gives only a high total figure says little about the AKBA content, and buyers ask for both by HPLC.
Beyond assay, lots divide on whether the extract is decolourised, on residual volatile oil, and on beta boswellic acid content, which some markets limit. Powders are sold carrier free or on maltodextrin, at 80 mesh, with a granulated grade for direct compression and a micronised grade for suspensions. Presentations designed to improve absorption are traded as separate items, including phospholipid complexes and self emulsifying preparations, both of which carry a lower nominal boswellic acid figure because the carrier makes up much of the mass. Because AKBA is expensive, assay inflation and blending with other resins are recognised risks and are checked by full chromatographic profile rather than by a single peak.
Applications
- Joint comfort supplements in capsule and tablet form, the dominant outlet for the ingredient
- Combination formulations with curcuminoids, collagen peptides or glucosamine sources
- Softgel and oil filled capsules, using the lipophilic character of the boswellic acids
- Sports and recovery products, positioned around exercise related joint comfort
- Functional beverages and shots, using a phospholipid or cyclodextrin complexed grade to keep the actives dispersed
- Topical creams, gels and balms for local application over joints
- Ayurvedic preparations, in which the resin has a long established position
- Pet joint supplements, particularly for dogs and horses
- Incense and aroma products, where the crude resin rather than the purified extract is used
Brands Using Boswelia Serrata Extract
Widely-distributed consumer products that list Boswelia Serrata Extract on the ingredient label.
- Superior LabsBoswellia Extract 500 mg ↗The ingredient line reads Indian Frankincense (Boswellia Serrata Extract) standardised to 65 percent boswellic acid.Label verified 2026-08-31
- Nature's AnswerBoswellia Extract Veggie Capsules ↗Nature's Answer lists Boswellia Extract (Boswellia serrata) standardised to 70 percent boswellic acid at 400 mg per serving.Label verified 2026-08-31
Brand names, product names and logos are the property of their owners. They appear here as published evidence that the ingredient is used, taken from the brand's own label or website. Their appearance is not an endorsement, and it does not mean the brand buys from us or from any manufacturer listed on this site.
China Manufacturers of Boswelia Serrata Extract
Top Boswelia Serrata Extract manufacturers in China.
Company names and logos are the property of the manufacturers themselves. They are listed here because our own directory records them as producing this ingredient. A listing is not an endorsement by them, and we do not represent them or speak on their behalf.
Regulatory Status
In the United States, Boswellia serrata gum resin and its extracts are marketed as dietary ingredients under the Dietary Supplement Health and Education Act, with finished products manufactured under 21 CFR Part 111. Boswellia is also recognised as a natural flavouring substance and natural substance used in conjunction with flavourings, and frankincense preparations appear among the flavouring materials listed by the Flavour and Extract Manufacturers Association. Specific boswellia extract preparations have been the subject of generally recognised as safe determinations for defined food uses.
In the European Union boswellia is not an authorised food additive, so no E number applies, and its position as a food supplement ingredient is decided at member state level under national botanical rules, with health claims for the species unauthorised. Preparations concentrated well beyond the composition of the traditional resin, or produced by processes without a history of use in the Union, fall within the scope of the novel food regulation. Codex has no commodity standard for boswellia extract and JECFA has issued no additive specification for it.
Manufacturing Process
Tapped resin tears are collected, sorted by hand to remove bark and soil, and graded by colour and size. The graded resin is milled, often after chilling since it softens and clogs a mill at ambient temperature, and extracted with ethanol, ethyl acetate or a hydrocarbon solvent, all of which dissolve the triterpene acid fraction while leaving the gum polysaccharide behind as an insoluble residue.
The extract solution is filtered to remove the gum and any insoluble matter, then concentrated under vacuum with solvent recovery. Where a defined AKBA figure is required the concentrate is taken through a further purification, either by selective crystallisation from an alcohol solvent, by alkali extraction that moves the acids into an aqueous phase and back after acidification, or by column chromatography for the highest grades. The volatile oil fraction is stripped under vacuum, both because it carries an unwanted odour and because some markets limit it. The purified solid is dried under vacuum at moderate temperature, milled, sieved, assayed by HPLC for total boswellic acids and AKBA separately, blended across sub lots and packed in double food grade liners inside fibre drums.
