Mastic gum and gastrointestinal diseases

Andriana Kaliora, 70 El. Venizelou Ave., 176 71 Kallithea, Athens, Greece Tel: ++3019549303-306, Fax: ++3019577050, e-mail: [email protected] Pistacia lentiscus var. Chia (Anacardiaceae) is a tree unique to the island of Chios and grows only in the Southern part of the island. A resinous exudate is produced after longitudinal incisions are made at close intervals from the base of the trunk up to the thicker branches of the tree. Once the resin is coagulated, gum mastic or “Mastiha” is produced, of which Chios is famous. The Syrians used to call the island “the country of Mastic”. Mastic has a history which can be traced back to classical ages. The ancient Greeks, Babylonians and Egyptians used it in many products, from chewing gum to healing formulas. In the 2nd century B.C., Galenus wrote that mastic was used for improving the condition of the blood and for bronchitis. Many other ancient Greek authors, including Dioscurides, Theophrastus, Paulos of Aegina, and Appolodorus, mentioned mastic for its healing properties in the stomach, intestine and liver. In “De simplicium Medicamentorum temperamentic ac facultatibus” it is prescribed for inflammation of the stomach, intestine and liver. Christopher Columbus wrote of its antibacterial value and its use against cholera. According to Columbus, if spices were worth their weight in silver, mastic was worth its weight in gold. Thomas Fuller’s Pharmacopoeia extemporanea, published in 1710, lists many ancient formulas that include mastic. Yet, despite all the references more than five hundred years after Columbus’ estimation, research to justify the high valuation of mastic is limited.