Mastic

Mastic is a dried resin that seeps from wounds cut in the trunk and branches of the mastic tree, Pistacia lentiscus, an evergreen Mediterranean shrub or small tree. Most of it comes from the Greek island of Chios. It is chewed, serves as a flavouring and goes into perfumes, and powdered mastic is traditionally used for mild indigestion and, on the skin, for minor inflammation and small wounds, on the strength of long experience rather than clinical proof.

Type

Plant resin

Botanical name

Pistacia lentiscus

Other names

mastix, mastic gum, Chios mastic gum

The mastic tree

The mastic tree belongs to the cashew family, Anacardiaceae. It grows naturally along the coasts of the Mediterranean, in Portugal and in tropical Africa. It is an evergreen tree or shrub 1–8 m high, and male and female flowers grow on separate plants. The leaves are made up of 8 to 12 leathery leaflets. The flowers are yellowish or purplish, and the small round fruit, about 4 mm across, is red at first and later turns black.

How mastic is obtained

Growers cut the trunk and branches, and the sap drips out as a sticky, translucent liquid. In the summer drought and sun it hardens within 15–20 days into irregular lumps. A fully grown tree gives about 1 kg of resin a year. The harvested resin is washed with water to remove impurities and then sorted and graded by colour and size.

Mastic comes as yellow or greenish yellow, rounded or pear-shaped "tears" about 3 mm across. They are brittle but turn soft and plastic when chewed, and they smell faintly balsamic. Although it is usually called a gum, mastic is a hard resin. Since 1997, mastic from Chios has been a product with a Protected Designation of Origin (PDO) in the European Union.

Composition

Mastic contains triterpenes, a large group of plant compounds, and a natural polymer. It also contains an essential oil, polyphenols and plant sterols, but its full composition is still not completely known. The European Pharmacopoeia requires mastic to contain at least 10 ml of essential oil per kilogram.

Most of the oil is α-pinene: 79% in one analysis and 66% in another.

Mastic oil

Dry mastic has only a faint, balsamic, turpentine-like smell, but a small amount of essential oil can be obtained from it by steam distillation. Mastic oil is a pale yellow, runny liquid with a fresh, balsamic, turpentine-like scent. Perfumers occasionally use it as a top note in citrus colognes and lavender-type fragrances, and it also flavours some liqueurs.

Uses

Mastic has long been chewed in Arab countries, where it is used to sweeten the breath and help preserve the teeth and gums. Its aroma also makes it a flavouring for alcoholic drinks. Since the 20th century, it has been used as a seasoning in Mediterranean cooking, in chewing gum, in perfumery and in dentistry.

Mastic powder has been used in foods and cosmetics across Europe for at least two centuries, and some cosmetic creams contain 1–3% of it.

Herbal medicine

In Greece and other Mediterranean countries, mastic powder has long been put on wounds and burns, and in Greece and the Balkans it is sold in pharmacies as a folk remedy for indigestion, skin healing and mouth care.

Powdered mastic has two traditional uses, which rest on long experience rather than on clinical proof. Taken by mouth, it is intended for mild indigestion. Applied to the skin, it is intended for minor skin inflammation and as an aid in healing minor wounds.

Several clinical studies have looked at mastic, but most are small and have weaknesses in their methods, so they do not prove that it works.

Safety

• People allergic to mastic should not use mastic medicines.
• No side effects have been reported in clinical studies. Two case reports describe allergic skin reactions to medical adhesive bandages containing mastic.
• Taking it for indigestion has not been established in people under 18, nor applying it to the skin in children under 12.
• Use during pregnancy and breastfeeding is not recommended, because its safety has not been established.
• It is not known whether mastic can damage genetic material.

Products containing it

• Oral Nasal Hygiene Spray Strong (E 142)