An international team of scientists, including researchers from Johns Hopkins University and the Hebrew University in Jerusalem, describe how burning frankincense -- resin from the Boswellia plant -- activates poorly understood ion channels in the brain to alleviate anxiety or depression.

Study co-author Raphael Mechoulam said the findings suggest that an entirely new class of depression and anxiety drugs might be right under our noses.

The researchers administered incensole acetate to mice and found that the compound significantly affected areas in brain areas known to be involved in emotions as well as in nerve circuits that are affected by current anxiety and depression drugs.

"In spite of information stemming from ancient texts, constituents of Bosweilla had not been investigated for psychoactivity," Mechoulam said in a statement. "We found that incensole acetate, a Boswellia resin constituent, when tested in mice lowers anxiety and causes anti-depressive-like behavior. Apparently, most present day worshipers assume that incense burning has only a symbolic meaning."

The findings were published online in The Federation of American Societies for Experimental Biology Journal.