The mastic tree (Pistacia lentiscus) is a thick seasonal growing to about 5 metres over 40 to 50 years, with a lifecycle of about 100 years. The resin is produced in beads or “tears”, being likewise called the “tears of Chios”. When produced it dries into a breakable, clear resin that on being chewed softens and endsupbeing a white gum. Initially the flavour is bitter, however on chewing it endsupbeing revitalizing and tastes like pine or cedar. The resin production starts in the tree’s 5th year, reaching a optimum yield of one kg after 12 years. The name mastic is obtained from the Greek word “to gnash the teeth”, and is the root of the English word “masticate”.
Mastic gum hasactually been collected for at least 2500 years, and the veryfirst documented history of it was by Hippocrates, who utilized mastic gum as a digestion, for colds and as a breath freshener. The Romans blended it with honey, pepper and egg to consume, and throughout the Byzantine Empire the mastic trade was so important that it endedupbeing the monopoly of the emperor. During the Ottoman Empire, mastic gum was worth its weight in gold, and the charge for taking it was execution.
From Byzantine times, the ancient towns in the mastic-producing locations on Chios were constructed like fortresses, out of sight of the sea and surrounded by high walls with no doors at street level and just a single entryway to each settlement, primarily to safeguard the sap from intruders. The villagers would getin their structures from the roofingsystem by ladders. Today the production of mastic is extremely controlled, and there are 22 towns on Chios that have federalgovernment licences to produce the resin.
Active activeingredients
The parts of the mastic tree that are utilized are the resin or gum, and necessary oil drawnout from the resin, leaves and fruit. More than 120 chemical substances haveactually been recognized in the resin, consistingof natural polymers, acidic and neutral triterpenes, unpredictable substances, quercetin and phenolic substances, arabinogalactans, proteins and phytosterols.
Therapeutic utilizes
While there is strong conventional proof of mastic gum’s usage in people, most of the present researchstudy is on animals and in vitro. Many more scientific trials requirement to be carriedout.
Anti-inflammatory
Mastic manages several anti-inflammatory paths, hindering the COX-2 and LOX paths and iNOS, TNFα and IL-6, hence decreasing the threat of a variety of persistent inflammatory diseases.
Autoimmune illness
Mastic gum enhances signs of autoimmune illness by hindering production of these pro-inflammatory cytokines. Studies performed on Crohn’s illness and asthma in mice haveactually revealed favorable results.
Digestion
Mastic gum has considerable anti-bacterial activity, consistingof the removal of H. pylori, hence decreasing the threat of stomach and duodenal ulcer. Human trials haveactually been carriedout with favorable outcomes. Mastic was revealed to kill 90 per cent of H. pylori,