Efficient preparation of incensole and incensole acetate, and quantification of these bioactive diterpenes in Boswellia papyrifera by a RP-DAD-HPLC method.

Incensole and incensole acetate, found in incense, are encouraging potent bioactive diterpenic cembrenoids, inhibiting Nuclear Factor-kappaB activation. Furthermore, incensole acetate elicits psycho-activity in mice by activating the TRPV3 channels in the brain. Starting from crude extracts of the incense species Boswellia papyrifera Hochst., a convenient procedure for the efficient large-scale synthesis of incensole and its acetate is presented. Additionally, a reversed-phase, diode-array-detection, high-performance liquid chromatography (RP-DAD-HPLC) method for the quantification of incensole and incensole acetate is reported, indicating that these two compounds are typical biomarkers for B. papyrifera.