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.
Export Options
About this article
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 |
- Author Guidelines
- Graphical Abstracts
- Fabricating and Stating False Information
- Research Misconduct
- Post Publication Discussions and Corrections
- Publishing Ethics and Rectitude
- Increase Visibility of Your Article
- Archiving Policies
- Peer Review Workflow
- Order Your Article Before Print
- Promote Your Article
- Manuscript Transfer Facility
- Editorial Policies
- Allegations from Whistleblowers
- Announcements
Related Articles
-
A Diabetes Treatment Strategy to Reduce the Risk of Cardiovascular Events: Clinical Benefits and Potential of Linagliptin
Immunology, Endocrine & Metabolic Agents in Medicinal Chemistry (Discontinued) Seek and Destroy: The Use of Natural Compounds for Targeting the Molecular Roots of Cancer
Current Drug Targets Pathophysiology of Diabetic Dyslipidaemia
Current Vascular Pharmacology Endothelial Dysfunction: Methods of Assessment & Implications for Cardiovascular Diseases
Current Pharmaceutical Design Syphilis: An Epidemiological Review
Current Women`s Health Reviews Hypertensive Cardiomyopathy in Asymptomatic Patients: A Neglected Diagnosis
Current Hypertension Reviews Sepsis-induced Cardiomyopathy
Current Cardiology Reviews Targeting the MCP-1/CCR2 System in Diabetic Kidney Disease
Current Vascular Pharmacology MDMA Toxicity and Pathological Consequences: A Review About Experimental Data and Autopsy Findings
Current Pharmaceutical Biotechnology Oxidative stress and myocarditis
Current Pharmaceutical Design Cardiovascular Risk Factors and Dietary Patterns
Current Nutrition & Food Science Therapeutic Drugs that Behave as Mechanism-Based Inhibitors of Cytochrome P450 3A4
Current Drug Metabolism Mobile Phone Based Biomedical Imaging Technology: A Newly Emerging Area
Recent Patents on Biomedical Engineering (Discontinued) CETP Inhibitory Activity of Chlorobenzyl Benzamides: QPLD Docking, Pharmacophore Mapping and Synthesis
Letters in Drug Design & Discovery Meet the Editorial Board
Current Vascular Pharmacology Carnitine Metabolism and Deficit - When Supplementation is Necessary?
Current Pharmaceutical Biotechnology Lipid-lowering Therapy in the Diabetic Foot: Seeing the Whole Iceberg and not Just the Tip
Current Vascular Pharmacology Balancing Antioxidant, Hypolipidemic and Anti-inflammatory Activity in a Single Agent: The Example of 2-Hydroxy-2-Substituted Morpholine, 1,4-Benzoxazine and 1,4-Benzothiazine Derivatives as a Rational Therapeutic Approach against Atherosclerosis
Current Medicinal Chemistry MicroRNAs: A Critical Regulator and a Promising Therapeutic and Diagnostic Molecule for Diabetic Cardiomyopathy
Current Gene Therapy A Review on the Phytochemicals, Ethnomedicine Uses and Pharmacology of Ficus Species
Current Traditional Medicine