A pilot study on bioactive constituents and analgesic effects of MyrLiq®, a Commiphora myrrha extract with a high furanodiene content

The analgesic properties of myrrh (Commiphora myrrha) have been known since ancient times and depend on the presence of bioactive sesquiterpenes with furanodiene skeletons. MyrLiq® is a C. myrrha extract with a standardized content of curzerene, furanoeudesma-1,3-diene and lindestrene (12.31 ± 0.05 g kg-1, 18.84 ± 0.02 g kg-1 and 6.23 ± 0.01 g kg-1, respectively) and a high total furanodiene content (40.86 ± 0.78 g kg-1). In a pilot study, a balanced sample of 95 female and 89 male volunteers (with ages ranging from 18 to older than 60 years) exhibiting different pain pathologies, including headache, fever-dependent pain, joint pain, muscle aches, lower back pain and menstrual cramps, was divided into two groups. The experimental group received 1 capsule/day containing either 200 mg or 400 mg of MyrLiq® (corresponding to 8 mg and 16 mg of bioactive furanodienes, respectively) for 20 days, and the placebo group was given the same number of capsules with no MyrLiq®. A score was recorded for all volunteers based on their previous experience with prescribed analgesics. For the male volunteers, pain alleviation was obtained with 400 mg of MyrLiq®/day for almost all pathologies, whereas for female volunteers, alleviation of lower back pain and fever-dependent pain was observed with only 200 mg of MyrLiq®/day. These results indicate that MyrLiq® has significant analgesic properties.