Abstract: The present invention relates to novel compounds possessing specific hot, pungent and spicy taste when subjected to direct pungency evaluation, which may be useful as food additives and anti-oxidants, however the said compounds do not add to any nutritional value but the synthesised compounds can possess useful pharmacological properties which is expected to find application in new test models for the development of anti-inflammatory drugs, bioavailability enhancers and for the study of hepatic drug metabolising mechanism; also relates to a process for preparing the said compounds.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a water-soluble bioactive fraction obtained from the gum resin exudate of Boswellia serrata and to a process for the preparation thereof. The present invention also relates to a process for the isolation of a water soluble bioactive fraction containing a mixture of potassium and calcium salts of polysaccharides composed of units of arabinose, galactose and D-glucuronic acid, having marked anti-inflammatory and anti-arthritic activities from the gum resin exudate of Boswellia serrata and to the use thereof in the treatment of arthritis in the form of a pharmaceutical composition containing the bioactive fraction.