Aloeswood | Oud-Al-Hind

Used for Perfume and Ease of Mind

FAMILY NAME	Thymelaeacae
BOTANICAL NAME	Aquilaria spp.
COMMON NAME	Aloeswood or Agarwood
SAFETY RATING	Generally Safe Under supervision; Threatened species, limited use for medicinal products.

PROPHETIC PRESCRIPTION

It was narrated that Umm Qais bint Mihsan said: “I brought a son of mine to the Prophet (ﷺ), and I had pressed on an area of his throat due to tonsillitis. He said: ‘Why do you poke your children with this pressing?’ You should use this aloeswood, for in it there are seven cures. It should be inhaled for pustules in the throat, and given in the side of the mouth for pleurisy.” (Another chain) from Umm Qais bint Mihsan, from the Prophet (ﷺ) with similar wording. [Ibn Maja 3462]

In another narration, the Prophet (ﷺ) used to burn Aloeswood with camphor for good scent. The burning of aloeswood should be done in an open space or a room with ventilation as over inhalation of smoke is detrimental for health.

PROPERTIES & USES

Aloeswood is aromatic, astringent, stimulant, laxative, tonic herb used to treat nausea, nervous disorders, regurgitation, and weakness in the elderly. It is considered an aphrodisiac, diuretic, antimicrobial, anti-flatulent, cholagogue, deobstruent, and tonic. It is used to relieve epilepsy, to treat smallpox and rheumatism, and to relieve spasms in the digestive and respiratory systems, including shortness of breath.

SCIENTIFIC STUDIES

Antitumor Activity According to an animal study conducted by Wonkwang University in South Korea, the aqueous extract of Aquilaria agallocha stems possess inhibitory effects on passive cutaneous anaphylaxis.20 The stem bark of Aquilaria malaccensis has also been shown to possess anticancer compounds. Further studies have shown other anticancer properties of aloeswood.

Nervous System Depressant Activity In an animal study conducted by the Institute for Oriental Medicine in Japan, the benzene extractable compounds of agarwood were shown to possess potent central nervous system depressant activities, supporting its use in Oriental medicine as a sedative.

Antibacterial and Antifungal Activity Extracts of aloeswood showed antimicrobia effects against S. Aureus and Candida albicans but not E. Coli. The study concluded that bacterial cells swell and distort causing cell wall rupture.

Anti-inflammatory Activity In the oil form, aloeswood significantly reduced skin thickness, ear weight and oxidative stress.

REFERENCES

1. Ibn-Maja

2. Sahih Bukhari

3. Johnstone P, trans. Medicine of the Prophet. Ibn Qayyim al-Jawziyyah. Cambridge: The Islamic Texts Society, 1998.

4. Chishti SHM. The Book of Sufi Healing. Rochester, Vermont: Inner Traditions International, 1991: 118; The Traditional Healer’s Handbook. Rochester, Vermont: Healing Arts Press, 1991: 323.

5. Hansen E. The hidden history of scented wood. Saudi Aramco World 2006; 51: 6. http://www.saudiaramcoworld.com/issue/200006/the.hidden.history.of.scented.wood.htm

6. Bown D. Encyclopedia of Herbs and Their Uses. Westmount: RD Press, 1995: 240.

7. Kim, Lee, Lee, Kim, Song, Lee, Kim. Effect of the aqueous extract of Aquilaria agallocha stems on the immediate hypersensitivity reactions. J 1997; 58(1): 31–38.

8. Gunasekera, Kinghorn, Cordell, Farnsworth. Plant anticancer agents. XIX Constituents of Aquilaria malaccensis. J 1981; 44(5): 569–572.

9. Gunasekera, Kinghorn, Cordell, Farnsworth. Plant anticancer agents. XIX Constituents of Aquilaria malaccensis. J 1981; 44(5): 569–572.

10. Okugawa, Ueda, Matsumoto, Kawanishi, Kato. Effects of agarwood extracts on the central nervous system in mice. Planta 1993; 59(1): 32–36.

11. Yadav D.K., Mudgal V., Agrawal J., Maurya A.J., Bawankule D.U., Chanotiya C.S., Khan F., Thul S.T. Molecular docking and ADME studies of natural compounds of agarwood oil for topical anti-inflammatory activity. Curr. Comput. Aided Drug Des. 2013;9:360–370. doi: 10.2174/1573409911309030012.

12. Wang, S., Yu, Z., Wang, C., Wu, C., Guo, P., & Wei, J. (2018). Chemical Constituents and Pharmacological Activity of Agarwood and Aquilaria Plants. Molecules (Basel, Switzerland), 23(2), 342. https://doi.org/10.3390/molecules23020342