From Traditional Knowledge to Modern Phytotherapy: Scientific Evidence and Bioactive Compounds of the Burseraceae Family
Leonne Lopes Brito *
Department of Chemistry, Federal University of Piauí, Teresina, PI 64049-550, Brazil.
Yuri Rayel Fernandes Sousa
Department of Chemistry, Federal University of Piauí, Teresina, PI 64049-550, Brazil.
Luana Letícia Oliveira de Meneses
Department of Chemistry, Federal University of Piauí, Teresina, PI 64049-550, Brazil.
*Author to whom correspondence should be addressed.
Abstract
Aims: This systematic review examines the relationship between traditional medicinal uses of species in the Burseraceae family and the phytochemical and pharmacological evidence reported for those species.
Study Design: A qualitative systematic review was undertaken with emphasis on the interface between ethnobotanical knowledge, phytochemical composition and experimentally evaluated biological activity.
Methodology: Independent searches were conducted in PubMed, ScienceDirect and SciELO using the terms “Burseraceae” AND “Ethnopharmacology” for records published between 2016 and 2026. Eligible studies were required to report Burseraceae species with medicinal applications and to describe either bioactive compounds or experimentally assessed biological activities linked to traditional use. Narrative reviews, editorials, conference abstracts, taxonomic, ecological or agronomic studies without biological evaluation, and studies lacking information on plant part or chemical composition were excluded.
Results: Seventy-one records were retrieved, of which 18 met the eligibility criteria and were included in the qualitative synthesis. The genera Protium, Commiphora, Canarium and Boswellia were most frequently represented. Resins and oleoresins were prominent matrices, although leaves, bark and essential oils were also investigated. Anti-inflammatory activity was the most commonly reported biological effect, followed by antimicrobial, antioxidant, antiparasitic, antidiarrhoeal, hepatoprotective and wound-healing activities. Recurrent compounds included pentacyclic triterpenes, particularly α- and β-amyrin and boswellic acids, together with monoterpenes such as α-pinene, p-cymene and 1,8-cineole, as well as phenolic compounds and flavonoids.
Conclusion: The reviewed evidence indicates a consistent, although not definitive, correspondence between several traditional uses of Burseraceae species and experimentally reported activities. These findings support further phytochemical, mechanistic, toxicological and clinical investigations, alongside conservation measures and ethical recognition of traditional knowledge.
Keywords: Burseraceae, ethnopharmacology, phytochemistry, phytotherapy, medicinal plants, oleoresins, terpenoids, triterpenes, boswellic acids, amyrins, bioactive compounds, traditional knowledge