Pentacyclic triterpene distribution in various plants - rich sources for a new group of multi-potent plant extracts.
TL;DR: Pentacyclic triterpenes are secondary plant metabolites widespread in fruit peel, leaves and stem bark display various pharmacological effects while being devoid of prominent toxicity and are promising leading compounds for the development of new multi-targeting bioactive agents.
Abstract: Pentacyclic triterpenes are secondary plant metabolites widespread in fruit peel, leaves and stem bark. In particular the lupane-, oleanane-, and ursane triterpenes display various pharmacological effects while being devoid of prominent toxicity. Therefore, these triterpenes are promising leading compounds for the development of new multi-targeting bioactive agents. Screening of 39 plant materials identified triterpene rich (> 0.1% dry matter) plant parts. Plant materials with high triterpene concentrations were then used to obtain dry extracts by accelerated solvent extraction resulting in a triterpene content of 50 - 90%. Depending on the plant material, betulin (birch bark), betulinic acid (plane bark), oleanolic acid (olive leaves, olive pomace, mistletoe sprouts, clove flowers), ursolic acid (apple pomace) or an equal mixture of the three triterpene acids (rosemary leaves) are the main components of these dry extracts. They are quantitatively characterised plant extracts supplying a high concentration of actives and therefore can be used for development of phytopharmaceutical formulations.
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TL;DR: The current knowledge on the role of nutrition as a countermeasure for sarcopenia is summarized, the mechanisms of action of relevant dietary agents on the aging muscle are illustrated, and novel nutritional strategies that may help preserve muscle mass and function into old age are introduced.
Abstract: Sarcopenia, the loss of skeletal muscle mass and function that occurs with aging, is associated with increased risk for several adverse health outcomes, including frailty, disability, falls, loss of independent living, and mortality. At present, no pharmacological treatment exists that is able to definitely halt the progression of sarcopenia. Likewise, no pharmacological remedies are yet available to prevent the onset of age-related muscle wasting. In this scenario, the combination of nutritional interventions and physical exercise appears to be the most effective strategy presently available for the management of sarcopenia. The purposes of this review are to summarize the current knowledge on the role of nutrition as a countermeasure for sarcopenia, illustrate the mechanisms of action of relevant dietary agents on the aging muscle, and introduce novel nutritional strategies that may help preserve muscle mass and function into old age. Issues related to the identification of the optimal timing of nutritional interventions in the context of primary and secondary prevention are also discussed. Finally, the prospect of elaborating personalized dietary and physical exercise recommendations through the implementation of integrated, high-throughput analytic approaches is illustrated.
138 citations
TL;DR: This work establishes a new procedure for the extraction and analysis of pentacyclic triterpenes, with which fruits and leaves from three Spanish olive cultivars has been studied, and found differences could majorly be attributable to the genetic factors of the olive cultivar.
Abstract: This work establishes a new procedure for the extraction and analysis of pentacyclic triterpenes, with which fruits and leaves from three Spanish olive cultivars ("Picual", "Hojiblanca", and "Arbequina") has been studied. The leaf contains important amounts of oleanolic acid (3.0-3.5% DW), followed by significant concentrations of maslinic acid and minor levels of ursolic acid, erythrodiol, and uvaol. The abundance and profile of triterpenoids change during the leaf ontogeny. In the fruit, triterpenes are exclusively located in the epicarp at concentrations 30-fold lower than that in the leaf. Maslinic acid is the main triterpenoid, only accompanied of oleanolic acid. Along the ripening the levels of these triterpenes decreased. All the analyzed leaves and fruits come from the same agricultural estate, with identical climate and culturing conditions. For this reason, the found differences could majorly be attributable to the genetic factors of the olive cultivars.
133 citations
TL;DR: The role and mechanism(s) of action of Nrf2 dysregulation in HCC and therapeutic options that can be employed to modulate this transcription factor are summarized.
Abstract: The liver executes versatile functions and is the chief organ for metabolism of toxicants/xenobiotics. Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is the most common primary liver malignancy and the third foremost cause of cancer death worldwide. Oxidative stress is a key factor related with the development and progression of HCC. Nuclear factor erythroid 2 [NF-E2]-related factor 2 (Nrf2) is a cytosolic transcription factor, which regulates redox homeostasis by activating the expression of an array of antioxidant response element-dependent genes. Nrf2 displays conflicting roles in normal, healthy liver and HCC; in the former, Nrf2 offers beneficial effects, whereas in the latter it causes detrimental effects favouring the proliferation and survival of HCC. Sustained Nrf2 activation has been observed in HCC and facilitates its progression and aggressiveness. This review summarizes the role and mechanism(s) of action of Nrf2 dysregulation in HCC and therapeutic options that can be employed to modulate this transcription factor.
131 citations
Cites background from "Pentacyclic triterpene distribution..."
...Ursolic acid (UA) is a lipophilic pentacyclic triterpenoid that imparts a smooth waxy appearance to fruits, particularly apples and is found in many fruits and herbs [154]....
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TL;DR: It is suggested that OA ameliorates visceral adiposity and improves glucose tolerance in mice and thus has an antiobese potential through modulation of carbohydrate and fat metabolism.
131 citations
TL;DR: This review presents an overview of in vitro and in vivo studies that were carried out to determine the bioavailability of pentacyclic triterpenes and highlights the efforts that have been performed to improve the dissolution properties and absorption of these compounds.
Abstract: Pentacyclic triterpenes are naturally found in a great variety of fruits, vegetables and medicinal plants and are therefore part of the human diet. The beneficial health effects of edible and medicinal plants have partly been associated with their triterpene content, but the in vivo efficacy in humans depends on many factors, including absorption and metabolism. This review presents an overview of in vitro and in vivo studies that were carried out to determine the bioavailability of pentacyclic triterpenes and highlights the efforts that have been performed to improve the dissolution properties and absorption of these compounds. As plant matrices play a critical role in triterpene bioaccessibility, this review covers literature data on the bioavailability of pentacyclic triterpenes ingested either from foods and medicinal plants or in their free form.
129 citations
Cites background from "Pentacyclic triterpene distribution..."
...They have also been reported in trees, such as eucalyptus leaves [34] and birch bark [24], as well as in some oriental and traditional medicine herbs widely distributed all over the world [36–38]....
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...Pentacyclic triterpenes have been found in consumed fruits, such as apple peel [29,30], pear peel [24], mango [31], green pepper [31], strawberries [31], mulberry, guava [32] or olives [24,33], but also in aromatic herbs, e....
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..., basil [32,34], oregano [24], rosemary [35] and lavender [24]....
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...Triterpenes occur mainly at plant surfaces, such as fruit peel, stem bark or leaves [24]....
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References
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TL;DR: Evidence is presented that numerous agents identified from fruits and vegetables can interfere with several cell-signaling pathways and the active principle identified in fruit and vegetables and the molecular targets modulated may be the basis for how these dietary agents not only prevent but also treat cancer and other diseases.
1,653 citations
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...20 [42]...
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TL;DR: Oleanolic acid and ursolic acid are ubiquitous triterpenoids in plant kingdom, medicinal herbs, and are integral part of the human diet.
642 citations
"Pentacyclic triterpene distribution..." refers background in this paper
...The pharmacological relevance of these triterpenes has increased during the last two decades demonstrating multi-target properties such as wound healing, anti-inflammatory, anti-bacterial, antiviral, hepatoprotective and anti-tumoral effects, combined with low toxicity [9-13]....
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TL;DR: A new mechanism of action has been confirmed for some of the most promising anti-HIV derivatives, which makes them potentially useful additives to the current anti- HIV therapy.
585 citations
"Pentacyclic triterpene distribution..." refers background in this paper
...The pharmacological relevance of these triterpenes has increased during the last two decades demonstrating multi-target properties such as wound healing, anti-inflammatory, anti-bacterial, antiviral, hepatoprotective and anti-tumoral effects, combined with low toxicity [9-13]....
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TL;DR: The chemical analysis and quality control of Ginkgo leaves, extracts, phytopharmaceuticals and some herbal supplements is comprehensively reviewed and the growing literature on pharmacokinetic and fingerprinting studies of Ginkinggo is briefly summarised.
469 citations
TL;DR: Data suggest that anthocyanins and ursolic acid purified from C. mas fruits have biological activities that improve certain metabolic parameters associated with diets high in saturated fats and obesity.
Abstract: Much attention has been focused on food that may be beneficial in preventing diet-induced body fat accumulation and possibly reduce the risk of diabetes and heart disease. Cornelian cherries (Cornus mas) are used in the preparation of beverages in Europe and also to treat diabetes-related disorders in Asia. In this study, the most abundant bioactive compounds in C. mas fruits, the anthocyanins and ursolic acid, were purified, and their ability to ameliorate obesity and insulin resistance in C57BL/6 mice fed a high-fat diet was evaluated. Mice were initially fed a high-fat diet for 4 weeks and then switched to a high-fat diet containing anthocyanins (1 g/kg of high-fat diet) and ursolic acid (500 mg/kg of high-fat diet) for an additional 8 weeks. The high-fat diet induced glucose intolerance, and this was prevented by anthocyanins and ursolic acid. The anthocyanin-treated mice showed a 24% decrease in weight gain. These mice also showed decreased lipid accumulation in the liver, including a significant decrease in liver triacylglycerol concentration. Anthocyanin and ursolic acid treated mice exhibited extremely elevated insulin levels. Both treatments, however, showed preserved islet architecture and insulin staining. Overall, these data suggest that anthocyanins and ursolic acid purified from C. mas fruits have biological activities that improve certain metabolic parameters associated with diets high in saturated fats and obesity.
363 citations
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...15 [31]...
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