Editing Pistacia lentiscus (section)

====Medicine====
People in the Mediterranean region have used mastic as a medicine for gastrointestinal ailments for several thousand years. First-century Greek physician and botanist [[Dioscorides]] wrote about the medicinal properties of mastic in his classic treatise ''De Materia Medica'' (''About Medical Substances''). Some centuries later, Markellos Empeirikos and Pavlos Eginitis<ref name="e-xios"/> also noticed the effect of mastic on the digestive system.

Mastic oil has antibacterial and antifungal properties, and as such is widely used in the preparation of ointments for skin disorders and afflictions. It is also used in the manufacture of plasters.<ref name=Epikouria/>

In recent years, university researchers have provided the scientific evidence for the medicinal properties of mastic. A 1985 study by the [[University of Thessaloniki]] and by the [[Meikai University]] discovered that mastic can reduce bacterial dental plaque in the mouth by 41.5%. A 1998 study by the [[University of Athens]] found that mastic oil has antibacterial and antifungal properties. Another 1998 University of Nottingham study claims that mastic can heal [[peptic ulcers]] by killing ''[[Helicobacter pylori]]'', which causes peptic ulcers, [[gastritis]], and [[duodenitis]]. Some ''in vivo'' studies have shown that mastic gum has no effect on ''H. pylori'' when taken for short periods of time.<ref>{{cite journal |vauthors=Loughlin MF, Ala'Aldeen DA, Jenks PJ |title=Monotherapy with mastic does not eradicate ''Helicobacter pylori'' infection from mice |journal=J. Antimicrob. Chemother. |volume=51 |issue=2 |pages=367–71 |date=February 2003 |pmid=12562704 |doi=10.1093/jac/dkg057 |doi-access=free }}</ref><ref>{{cite journal |vauthors=Bebb JR, Bailey-Flitter N, Ala'Aldeen D, Atherton JC |title=Mastic gum has no effect on ''Helicobacter pylori'' load in vivo |journal=J. Antimicrob. Chemother. |volume=52 |issue=3 |pages=522–3 |date=September 2003 |pmid=12888582 |doi=10.1093/jac/dkg366 |doi-access=free }}</ref> However, a recent and more extensive study showed that mastic gum reduced ''H. pylori'' populations after an insoluble and sticky polymer (poly-β-myrcene) constituent of mastic gum was removed, and if taken for a longer period of time.<ref>{{cite journal  |vauthors=Paraschos S, Magiatis P, Mitakou S, etal |title=In vitro and in vivo activities of Chios mastic gum extracts and constituents against ''Helicobacter pylori'' |journal=Antimicrob. Agents Chemother. |volume=51 |issue=2 |pages=551–9 |date=February 2007 |pmid=17116667 |pmc=1797732 |doi=10.1128/AAC.00642-06 }}</ref>

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