Abstract
The resin of Pistacia lentiscus (L.) var. chia (Duham), an evergreen shrub belonging to the family Anacardiaceae and uniquely cultivated in southern Chios, is known as mastic. It has been used for more than 2500 years in traditional Greek medicine for treating several diseases such as gastralgia and peptic ulcers, while the actions of the gum are mentioned in the works of Herodotus, Dioscorides and Galen. Several Roman, Byzantine, Arab and European authors make extensive references to mastic’s healing properties. Modern scientific research has justified the beneficial action of mastic to gastric diseases, by revealing its in vivo and in vitro activity against Helicobacter pylori, which is considered as the main cause for gastric ulcers. Furthermore, studies of the antimicrobial, antifungal, antioxidant, hypolipidemic, anti-inflammatory, anti-Crohn and anticancer activities of mastic have characterized it as a wide-range therapeutic agent and a potential source of nature-originated treatments.
Keywords: Anti-cancer activity, anti-helicobacter pylori activity, anti-inflammatory activity, mastic, mastic acidic fraction, mastic neutral fraction, Pistacia lentiscus (L.) var. chia
Current Medicinal Chemistry
Title:Chios Gum Mastic: A Review of its Biological Activities
Volume: 19 Issue: 14
Author(s): S. Paraschos, S. Mitakou, A.-L. Skaltsounis
Affiliation:
Keywords: Anti-cancer activity, anti-helicobacter pylori activity, anti-inflammatory activity, mastic, mastic acidic fraction, mastic neutral fraction, Pistacia lentiscus (L.) var. chia
Abstract: The resin of Pistacia lentiscus (L.) var. chia (Duham), an evergreen shrub belonging to the family Anacardiaceae and uniquely cultivated in southern Chios, is known as mastic. It has been used for more than 2500 years in traditional Greek medicine for treating several diseases such as gastralgia and peptic ulcers, while the actions of the gum are mentioned in the works of Herodotus, Dioscorides and Galen. Several Roman, Byzantine, Arab and European authors make extensive references to mastic’s healing properties. Modern scientific research has justified the beneficial action of mastic to gastric diseases, by revealing its in vivo and in vitro activity against Helicobacter pylori, which is considered as the main cause for gastric ulcers. Furthermore, studies of the antimicrobial, antifungal, antioxidant, hypolipidemic, anti-inflammatory, anti-Crohn and anticancer activities of mastic have characterized it as a wide-range therapeutic agent and a potential source of nature-originated treatments.
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Cite this article as:
S. Paraschos, S. Mitakou, A.-L. Skaltsounis , Chios Gum Mastic: A Review of its Biological Activities, Current Medicinal Chemistry 2012; 19 (14) . https://dx.doi.org/10.2174/092986712800229014
DOI https://dx.doi.org/10.2174/092986712800229014 |
Print ISSN 0929-8673 |
Publisher Name Bentham Science Publisher |
Online ISSN 1875-533X |
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